KI: Revelation, Retribution, Rebirth
by brawlingwolf
Summary: The time has come to conclude the "On the Wings of Light and Dark" series. Pit's reign has never been easy, but he's managed to keep the peace as best he can. Nemo has done what he is capable of to maintain the Celestial Balance and rework the Underworld. Peace, however, will find itself shattered by betrayal, deceit, weakness, and raw power. Contains OCs, Pit will remain single.
1. Chapter I: Existence

Consciousness. It was the first time he could truly say he knew what it felt like. The pale, darkened light shattered away from his body, leaving a human form behind as his feet touched the ground. The light itself reformed into an insignia attached to a strap running over his shoulder, and a name rang out in his mind.

_Nemo._

The human form taken by the spirit of Darkness itself as the gods waged a raging war across the world. He knew just as well as the other spirits-turned-humans around him that the Underworld faced overflow as the humans were nearly wiped out in the conflict, and the spirits themselves couldn't wait for one side to win.

"So… this is it," the spirit of Winds mumbled, testing the voice he had formed.

"Aye," the spirit of Light agreed. "The gods cannot find us now. It's time we fight back for the sake of the Celestial Balance." The other three spirits nodded in agreement.

"This form is going to take some getting used to," the Fire spirit noted as he rotated his shoulders, then lit a small flame in his palm. "Humans are so sluggish."

"Have the rest of you… discovered names?" Nemo wondered, and his four companions turned to look at him.

"Unda," the spirit of Water, one of the two females, replied. "I believe I'm to be called Unda."

"Levica," the Light spirit, the other female, announced.

"Vis," the Wind spirit introduced himself.

"Onore," the spirit of Fire answered. "What about you?"

"Nemo," he told them simply.

"Very well," Onore nodded. "We can't waste time. Unda, Vis, I'll come with you to knock some sense into Mistress Viridi. Pyrrhon seems to busy to really care about anything… he's been doing a bunch of research over the heavens know what. Nemo, Levica…"

"We'll head to Skyworld," Levica agreed. "I'm sure Lady Palutena will listen to us."

"I'm not so sure about Lady Medusa," Nemo mumbled. "She's been persistent about this nonsense."

"I'll say," Levica sighed. "The Centurions have been deployed again. It seems an army of humans was marching and they're intercepting them."

"Wonderful," Nemo sighed and rubbed his forehead.

"And it's only a matter of time before the Forces of Nature head out again," Unda realized. "They may be young, but they're powerful."

"All right. Then let's go. We can worry about the Underworld once we get the Overworld and Skyworld sorted out," Onore pointed out. "Rendeveous here in three days' time, and keep communications open."

"Just who made you the leader?" Vis grumbled, and Onore turned toward him.

"Is there something you'd rather do?"

"No," he replied. "I'm just saying: don't get used to ordering me around."

"I'm not-" Onore started to protest, but Vis cut him off.

"All I'm saying is that we're supposed to be equals- just like the gods themselves. We don't want to end up like them- clawing each other for power." Onore stared at him.

"I'm not trying to take over or anything. I just-"

"ALL right," Unda interrupted. "You two can argue later. We need to go before this world sees any more destruction. You all know as well as I do we shouldn't have waited this long, but we did, and now we have to live with those consequences. So, let's minimize them as best we can."

"She's right," Nemo agreed. "If we start fighting amongst ourselves, then there's no point in us doing this."

"Meet back here in three days' time," Levica confirmed. "May the fates be acting in our favor." Nemo followed her as she stepped a short distance away from their companions and focused his power. A bright light flashed around them and, when it died down, revealed the floating islets and marble structures of Skyworld in the distance. Palutena, the goddess of Light, and Medusa, the goddess of Darkness, had relocated from the temple they called home to the Skyworld Fortress, a maze to those who came unprepared and were unfamiliar with the terrain. From there, Medusa had taken charge of the Centurions, the army of the heavens, ordering them into battle with the humans and the forces of other gods themselves. The Centurions themselves weren't worth much, but they were persistent and carried out orders without question.

Naturally, Nemo wished they would question orders, at least occasionally, but it seemed to be a Centurion trait to follow the word of their goddesses without question. He sighed and turned toward the Fortress, hoping, praying, that he could talk some sense into his patron goddess. He and Levica entered the first room and looked around- he could sense Medusa's presence somewhere within, but not the particular path that would lead to her.

"I'm going to assume you don't know how to get to them either," Levica guessed, and he nodded. "Wonderful. Well, we'll figure it out eventually…"

"This isn't how I wanted to spend our time," he complained. "But I guess there's no sense wasting any more here. Let's move." He headed through a door with Levica following and started making his way up the platforms scattered about the Fortress in hopes of finding their destination. It didn't help that everything quickly started to look the same, and he sighed as he realized they had gone in a circle.

"Okay… perhaps this way?" Levica pondered as she went through a different door, Nemo following close behind.

"Can I help you?" An inhabitant of the Fortress asked as they entered the next room. "We have everything!" Nemo blinked, realizing that they'd come to some sort of shop.

"Why is there a shop in the Fortress?" he wondered softly to Levica. "Wouldn't it be better NOT to help intruders?"

"I don't know," Levica shrugged, then turned to the shopkeeper. "You wouldn't happen to have a map, would you?"

"No, sorry," the shopkeeper replied. "The map of the Fortress is out in one of the rooms around here. You'll have to find it yourself. But I do sell pencils and torches so you can keep track of where you are!" Nemo blinked.

"Uh, thanks anyway," he hurried to the room's exit. "So, we practically need the map to get the map?"

"You did mention deterring intruders," Levica pointed out. "Well, map or no map, this place can't be THAT big. Let's continue on." He nodded and ascended a ladder to the next chamber, where they found a duo of Centurions on guard.

"Halt, trespassers!" one ordered. Nemo and Levica turned to look at each other for a moment, then averted their attention back to the Centurions.

"We're here to see the goddesses of Light and Darkness," Levica told them. "I realize this may come as a surprise, but I am the spirit of Light and he," she gestured to Nemo, "Is the spirit of Darkness. We must be allowed passage."

"Spirits?" The other Centurion laughed. "I know a human when I see one! How'd you even get here?"

"Well, I guess our disguises work," Nemo sighed, then stepped forward and summoned an aura of dark energy around his hand. "Proof enough? We're here to see our ruling goddesses. Don't try to stand in our way." The Centurions stared at him.

"V-Very well," the first stammered. "Please, Masters, come this way." They led the spirits back through the Fortress, amongst the winding chambers until they reached an interior room featuring only one entrance. Within stood what appeared to be two young, strikingly beautiful women as they observed a crystal orb of sorts. One had long green hair held in place by a crown circlet, dressed in a pale blue gown, and she held a staff in one hand. The other was a ghostly pale woman with pitch black hair garbed in a dark purple dress. Both turned to the newcomers at the sound of their footsteps, and both seemed puzzled.

"Who dares approach us unannounced?" The black haired one, Medusa, inquired. "Humans? No… you're much too powerful to be mere humans."

"Indeed," Palutena agreed. "I feel as though I've met you before… please. Identify yourselves."

"Th-these two claim to be the spirits of Light and Darkness," one of the Centurions announced. "They wish to speak with you, my Ladies."

"The spirits disappeared from my view only a short time ago…" Medusa informed them. "Why should I believe your claims?"

"Lady Medusa," Nemo stepped forward and kneeled. "Search my soul, my power. Surely you'll come to realize-"

"Don't you dare order me," she hissed, silencing him.

"Lady Medusa," he insisted and got to his feet. "Please." With that, he called forth his power once more in an aura of dark magic. "Though I have taken a human form and the name 'Nemo,' I assure you that I am the spirit of Darkness." Medusa watched him intently, then nodded slowly.

"Nemo, is it?" she chuckled. "Hmph. Tell me, why have you taken this form?"

"For our safety," Levica spoke up. "Lady Palutena, I've taken the name Levica. I ask your forgiveness for our acting without your knowledge, but we felt it was necessary due to the violence in the world. As defenders of the Celestial Balance, we must take every measure to maintain that Balance." Palutena nodded.

"I see," she agreed. "So, it's true. This senseless fighting is throwing off the very nature of our world." She paused, shutting her eyes. "How could we not see this?"

"Lady Medusa, Lady Palutena," Nemo spoke up again. "Please, I beg of you: Cease the offensive battles for the sake of this world. Should this violence continue, the world itself faces destruction. What good is territory if it's been torn apart?"

"Hm," Medusa scoffed. "No. The humans and those pathetic gods need to understand Skyworld's dominance. Humans… they must learn their place, and if destroying them is the only way, then so it must be. They need to learn respect."

"But destroying them is pointless!" Nemo insisted. "Yes, they need to learn, but the world needs them! To destroy them is to destroy the world."

"He's right," Levica agreed. "This cannot go on without dire consequences."

"Silence," Medusa commanded, and Nemo found no choice but to comply. "Levica, naturally, you're going to oppose me. But Nemo," she stepped forward and angled his face toward hers with her hand, her nails brushing against his cheek and sending a chill down his spine. "I am the goddess of Darkness; you are merely a spirit, regardless of what form you take. I command you, and you are NOT to speak out against me. Do you understand?" He grit his teeth as she watched him calmly but firmly.

"No," he replied, and anger crept into her eyes. "With all due respect, Lady Medusa, I am a spirit charged with defending the Celestial Balance. Should I deem that your actions endanger that Balance, then I can only oppose you. My loyalty lies first with it, not you. And what you're doing now threatens to throw everything into irreversible chaos. Levica and I have come only with the intention of stopping that from happening." Medusa stared at him, then shoved him back and shook her head.

"Very well," she spat. "Then I will treat you as I would any other opposing force. Get out of my sight." He gazed at her a moment longer before bowing briefly and removing himself from the room.

"Nemo," Levica followed him out with Palutena herself close behind.

"You have my apologies, Nemo," the goddess of Light dipped her head. "I know you're in the right- I believe what you say is true." She sighed. "I realize that we've set our world on a path of complete destruction, and I wish I could put an end to it." She paused. "Unfortunately, the Centurions won't listen to me if I ask them to pull back, not when we're in such a state of war. They'll see it that Medusa is right in attacking, and I cannot sway that belief." Again, she paused in thought. "I will do what I can to stop this unnecessary war- I promise you that. But… I doubt I'll be able to do much."

"You'll have my support, Lady Palutena," Levica vowed. "I know we may not be able to do much, but…"

"Lady Palutena," Nemo spoke up again. "If you'll have me, then I'll stand with you as well. I commend your upholding your side of the Balance of Light and Dark, and I know I'm an entity of your opposite element. But if you truly wish to protect this world, I would be honored if you would let me aid you." Palutena smiled and nodded slowly.

"Thank you, Nemo. And don't worry about Medusa- I'll make sure she stays out of your hair."

"I appreciate it, Lady Palutena," he replied and kneeled. "I swear, until this conflict is over, that I will support your efforts in any and every way I can for the sake of the world and the Celestial Balance."


	2. Chapter II: Angel

And so it remained for another two years. Palutena found she couldn't do much to oppose Medusa, not without dividing Skyworld against itself and opening its defenses against both the humans and the other gods. Unda, Vis, and Onore had been unsuccessful in convincing Viridi, goddess of Nature, to cease her side of the conflict, and none of the spirits, now called Oracles, saw themselves able to impede the Underworld Army without assuring the other two sides had ceased fire.

Nemo and Levica had made true on their word and remained with Palutena, going out themselves to fight against the Underworld Army and the Forces of Nature when deemed necessary. It had been rough and both of the Oracles had sustained injuries in battle, but they had survived, and the war itself seemed no closer to a conclusion in any participant's favor. Nemo himself was quickly losing any hope he'd had that things could still come to some sort of peaceful resolution, ever realizing the fact that the spirits of the elements could only try to persuade- to fight endlessly was to stoop to the depth of the problem itself, and none of them could afford to do so.

Now, in the temple up in Skyworld, he, Palutena, and Levica watched the humans clash once again in a three-way battle between themselves, the Centurions, and the Forces of Nature. Unfortunately, they stood little chance against Medusa's and Viridi's armies, and it wasn't long until they faced a suffering defeat with few survivors.

"_Enough…"_ a trio of voices rang out in Nemo's head, much to his confusion, and he could guess from their bewildered expressions that Palutena and Levica had both heard them as well.

"…What was that?" Levica wondered, glancing around curiously.

"_Goddess of Light, Palutena,"_ The voices continued in unison. _"This senseless war has gone on far too long. It's time it came to an end." _A light suddenly appeared within the chamber they resided in, and Nemo vaguely recognized it as a soul.

"What is this?" Palutena questioned, watching the soul carefully.

"_You wish to uphold the desires of the spirits that govern your world, to end this war with utmost haste. You wish to restore the Celestial Balance, not to rule over territory that was not given to you."_ Palutena opened her mouth to reply, but the voices cut her off. _"This is not a question, goddess. We know." _They paused. _"This soul belonged to a human who perished in the conflict. He shared your wishes- that this fighting should end and peace be restored. It is time that wish came to be fulfilled." _Nemo exchanged an awed and confused look with Levica.

"But… how could a human aid us?" Palutena wondered.

"_He must become more than human… a force no one army could defeat. One who will fight for the heavens and defend the Celestial Balance with a strong heart and mind to judge between right and wrong." _A human form solidified around the soul, though the light still obscured any distinguishing features from view. The light died down and focused around his back, then exploded into bright, pure white wings. _"So he shall be called Mishael- the heavens' defender, champion of the goddesses- an angel. Guide him well, goddess Palutena, and restore peace to the world." _With that final instruction, the voices faded into silence as Mishael's sandaled feet touched the marble floor of the temple. He opened his warm brown eyes slowly and his gaze fell immediately on the goddess of Light, and he kneeled. His dark brown hair was pulled back into a horsetail and fell over his shoulder, and a golden laurel crown rested around his head. He was dressed in a plain white tunic belted at the waist with black shorts underneath, and he wore a thick glove on each hand.

Nemo had no idea what to make of this "angel," nor how one being could bring an end to the war. And yet, he couldn't deny the strength this newcomer exuded, both physically and within his soul.

"Goddess Palutena," Mishael began. "I… I am unsure as to how I've come here or what has happened to me, but I know I have a purpose and I am ready to serve you. Please, use me to see peace once again in our world." Palutena blinked, taken aback by his words.

"Thank you, Mishael," she nodded. "You may stand." As he complied, she frowned in thought. "Before we can do anything, though, I'll need to see your skill in combat."

"Of course, my lady," he dipped his head. "But… I lack a weapon."

"Ah," she noticed. "Very well. Hm…" The goddess focused her power for a moment, producing a polished golden bow that floated over to the angel. He took it carefully and bowed his head. "I was planning on giving that to the first Centurion that actually became a competent fighter, but… seeing as that isn't going to happen anytime soon," She smiled a bit. "I believe you'll be able to make much better use of it."

"You have my gratitude, Lady Palutena," Mishael bowed. "I swear to use it to end this forsaken war and see peace return."

"Yes… but first," she pondered, "As I said, I need to see your combat skill. But the Centurions won't suffice for opponents… regardless of the level of your prowess, I'm sure you'd destroy them quickly…"

"The Centurions, milady?" Mishael wondered.

"They make up the army of Skyworld," she elaborated. "I say 'army' loosely: they aren't worth much in a fight, but they're quite persistent. They rely on sheer numbers to accomplish any real feats."

"I see," the angel nodded. "Then…" Palutena turned to the Oracles.

"Perhaps one of you could stand against him?" she requested.

"I'd gladly accept this role," Nemo volunteered.

"Thank you, Nemo," Palutena nodded. "Ah, yes, I don't believe I've introduced you, Mishael. These are the spirits of Light and Darkness- Levica, the Oracle of Light, and Nemo, the Oracle of Darkness."

"Spirits?" Mishael wondered.

"We are charged with protecting the Celestial Balance of Light and Darkness," Levica explained. "There are three others like us: Onore, the Oracle of Fire, Vis, the Oracle of Winds, and Unda, the Oracle of Water. We were created to defend this world's existence and best intentions. This war must end before it is utterly destroyed."

"Ah, I see," he nodded. "Then, Master Nemo, it would be an honor to face you."

"Please, just Nemo," the Oracle of Darkness insisted.

"Then let us head outside," Palutena suggested. "I'd rather you two didn't destroy my temple." Though her words were harsh, her tone was light, and the four exited the temple to reach a rocky islet out in the open air of Skyworld.

"It's beautiful up here," Mishael breathed. "I'm humbled to be standing here."

"You should see it when we're not at war," Palutena agreed. "Only then can the heavens' true glory be unveiled. Now then," her gaze shifted from Mishael to Nemo. "Begin when you both feel ready, but please, don't hurt each other too badly."

"Understood, Lady Palutena," they both replied and headed into the open. Nemo took a deep breath, calling on his dark powers as he took up a reserved fighting stance, and Mishael readied the bow he had been given.

"I'll admit, you don't strike me as much of a fighter," Mishael told him. Nemo's gaze remained level, and he betrayed no emotion.

"I suppose there's only one way for you to find out," he answered. "But this isn't about me- you may take the first move." Mishael nodded and readied his bow. Its string appeared in a thin blue light and he pulled back an arrow of energy, then released it toward his target. Nemo caught the projectile in a counter of dark aura and redirected it back toward the angel, though it faded before it reached him. Mishael frowned and sprinted forward, readying his bow for use as a melee weapon. Nemo retreated into the shadows of the ground, to the angel's confusion, and popped back up to strike his opponent in the back.

"Oof," Mishael arched forward, but refused to lose his footing, and he regained his balance quickly. "Well done."

"We're not here to talk," Nemo replied, and Mishael nodded quickly as he fired another arrow. This one, however, didn't give Nemo time to react at the close range, and he took the immediate hit in his abdomen. He grunted softly and found the bow coming straight at him before he had a chance to recover. He dodged to the side and countered with a quick dark magic blast that Mishael took the brunt of. To the Oracle's surprise, however, the angel remained standing, and he readied another arrow with utmost haste. Again, Nemo took the hit, but remained on his feet as he prepared his own attack.

They continued their patterns of striking, dodging, countering, and attempting to outwit each other. Though Nemo had the ability to fade into and cross the shadows, Mishael had proven that his white wings weren't just for show- he could, indeed, fly. It seemed he wasn't well suited for extended periods of flight, however, as his new wings were weak. Over time though, the Oracle pondered, he would likely strengthen them to aid him in his journey to restore peace to the world. On the other hand, time wasn't something they had much of.

"Enough," Palutena commanded, and the opponents broke apart, panting as they tried to recover from the spar. "Well done, Mishael. Do not feel discouraged: Nemo and the other Oracles are some of the toughest opponents you'd ever face, even able to hold themselves against the gods themselves. You preformed extraordinarily well to withstand him for so long."

"Your words are kind, Lady Palutena," Mishael dipped his head. "Thank you."

"Now then," the goddess continued. "While you rest, we should plan our next course of action. Please, come with me." The angel complied and followed the goddess and Oracle of Light back into the temple, and Nemo continued after them at a slower pace.

Indeed, Mishael, though untrained, showed a high capacity for honing his abilities into a destructive force. Though he had already sworn to use his power and ability to end this senseless war, Nemo couldn't help but worry what could happen if that power ended up misplaced.

"Why can't I shake this?" he mumbled, unable to deny the feeling deep within him that he would one day find out the consequences of opposing that power.


	3. Chapter III: Torture

Over the next century or two, Nemo discovered twice that angels are not all-powerful. Though Mishael had been successful in bringing an end to the war of the gods, he had, unfortunately, perished in a skirmish with Underworld troops and Palutena had been unable to retrieve his soul to save him. The goddess of Light had been grief-stricken, but Nemo found it hard to tell what Medusa thought of the incident.

The goddess of Darkness only widened the gap between herself and Palutena, sending droughts to the lands and turning the humans to stone. Her enjoyment of tormenting them had finally pushed Palutena to her last nerve, and the goddess of Light had transformed her once beautiful counterpart into a serpent-haired, one-eyed monster that even Nemo had to admit was hideous. After a rather violent clash between the goddesses in Skyworld, Palutena had banished Medusa to the Underworld and Nemo had no choice but to follow.

Then came the situation with Mishael's successor, a female angel by the name of Leale. Leale was quite beautiful, with blond hair and sparkling green eyes that reminded the Oracle of Darkness of Levica. Though she could handle herself in combat, she wasn't nearly as strong as Mishael had been and relied on sniping her foes from afar with her bow. She was, on the other hand, gifted with intelligence and wisdom that rivaled even that of Palutena. She was talented at outsmarting opponents and picking apart their defenses, even capable of turning them against one another.

Unfortunately, those smarts didn't help her in the predicament she was in now. During the fight between Skyworld's goddesses, Leale had taken Palutena's side and chosen to fight against Medusa, and the goddess of Darkness had seen it as a betrayal. It was true that she was forced to the Underworld, but she took Leale with her by force. The angel had fought back with everything she could, but Medusa overpowered her, and now Nemo could only watch as his goddess met with the lord of the Underworld with the angel in tow.

"What a shame," Hades was saying. "My poor Medusa, I'm SO sorry for your situation, and I'll gladly help you take revenge on that blasted Palutena." A chill shot down Nemo's spine as he observed Hades's grin, and he couldn't help but wonder if he had just been looking for an opportunity like this.

"That's awfully gracious of you, Lord Hades," Medusa replied, and despite everything, she smiled darkly. "Then let me offer you this in exchange." Nemo winced as she held up her prisoner, and Hades's grin only grew. Leale's white robe was torn and stained with dirt and blood, her limbs broken and bruised, and Medusa had personally and slowly ripped her wings from her back. Several bloody feathers still clung to her, and she had long since ceased her screams of agony. Nemo could only guess that her voice had given out, as she trembled and twitched in Medusa's grasp as her eyes darted about wildly. The goddess of Darkness had no desire to offer mercy, and instead had assured that the angel had not lost consciousness in her pain; She wanted the supposed traitor to feel every spasm, every blow, every last bit of torture that she endured.

It had been almost as painful to only be able to watch, but he could do nothing to save her, to ease her suffering, to plead with Medusa to put her out of her misery. But he was sure she wouldn't listen, especially now. And surely she knew that Palutena would revive her if and when she died, so he could only wonder what her plans were with the poor angel.

"Ah, yes, Leale!" Hades acknowledged. "Welcome to my Underworld. I do hope you're comfortable." Nemo felt his stomach heave at the sharp, mocking ridicule in Hades's words. If Leale had any intention of replying, she was unable to act on it, and she only coughed up some sickening combination of blood and something else that he had no desire to identify. Pain was evident on her face, her expression permanently twisted into a testament to her broken body.

"Oh, I'm sure she is," Medusa agreed with mock sincerity, and Nemo felt his already worn temper flare into anger. But he restrained himself: There was nothing he could do, and he was acutely aware of it. He silently begged for someone, something, anything to put an end to the angel, to release her from this. "Well, Lord Hades, would you like to have some fun?"

"I would greatly enjoy some fun," Hades laughed. "What do you have in mind?"

"Would you like the honor of crushing this little pest?" she inquired, and the words themselves ate away at Nemo's heart like acid. "But remember, simply killing her isn't enough."

"Oh, I'm aware," Hades replied. "We'll have to stamp out the fire in her soul as well!" A squeak of protest, perhaps all that Leale was capable of, reached the Oracle's ears, and he realized that water dripped down his face. He wiped it away with his sleeve, but it quickly replaced itself.

"And you know more about that than I do," Medusa went on, and she held the barely breathing angel up. "So, if you would like to do the honors…" She dropped Leale into Hades's outstretched palm with no sense of care, and Hades held her up toward his face as he inspected her.

"Such a shame," he sighed, though Nemo could hear the insincerity in his voice. "Poor little hen… You don't want to be here, do you? You'd like to head back up to those rocks you call home and put this all behind you. But I would bet that a Hot Spring wouldn't even be capable of helping you now." Every word clawed at Nemo's ears, strangled his heart, made him feel ill. This was beyond cruelty, something that Leale had never come close to deserving. "I wonder what our dear Palutena will do without you." Hades snorted, and his maniacal grin returned. "Well, Medusa, shall we find out?"

"Oh yes, Lord Hades," she smiled. "Let's."

"Very well, then." With that, and before Nemo could turn away, Hades enclosed his hand, clenching his fingers around his prisoner with a sickening crack.

Nemo fell to his knees and braced his arms against the ground beneath him as his body convulsed and he vomited. He knew Hades would destroy her soul as well, but he couldn't watch; he didn't want to see anything more.

"Now, then," Hades continued. "Let's start discussing how we'll be dealing with Palutena, shall we?"

"Excellent," Medusa replied. "NEMO!" He looked up, his violet-red eyes ablaze with anger and grief. "Get over here. Now."

"No," he said hoarsely.

"Excuse me?"

"No!" he repeated with a stronger voice. "Lady Medusa, what you just did… How could you? How could you do any of this? You deserve what Lady Palutena did to you! You can't just toy with the humans. And Leale didn't deserve that!"

"She betrayed me," Medusa spat, her words like venom. "And that is how I punish treachery."

"She did what she was supposed to!" Nemo argued. "She's supposed to defend the Balance, just like I am. Lady Palutena was in the right. You're a fool!"

"A fool, am I?" she scoffed.

"Hrm…" Hades stared at the Oracle quizzically. "So this is one of the Oracles, eh? You'd better learn to keep quiet. Wouldn't want Medusa to do the same to you, would you?" Nemo opened his mouth to argue as he shook with anger, but no words came.

"I thought so," Medusa chuckled. "You serve me, Nemo. There's nothing you can do."

"I…" Again, he tried to argue, but found he could barely think straight.

"So, get over here," she ordered. "It's time we thought up another new plan."

And she did. About six years later, Medusa used the Underworld Army and invaded Skyworld. She didn't trust Nemo to be in the heavens with her, so he couldn't help but comply with her order to stay in the Underworld. He watched from the shadows as a small group of Underworld minions brought forth the new angel, a young boy identified as Pit, and he was visibly terrified of his captors. They imprisoned him deep within the Underworld, perhaps assuring that he wouldn't meddle in their new mistress's affairs.

But Nemo had sensed Palutena's presence briefly, and she'd used what little power she had left to free her new champion and grant him a bow. Just before he'd broken out, Nemo had taken care of the immediate guards and watched as the youth battled his way out of the Underworld. It wasn't long until he had gathered the Three Sacred Treasures from Twinbellows, Hewdraw, and Pandora respectively, and he had used their power to defeat the goddess of Darkness and free Palutena.

The Oracle couldn't help but feel a sense of grief for his goddess, despite his sour relationship with her, and he noticed how power-hungry Hades had become. What the Underworld ruler was planning, he didn't know, but he realized how fragile the coming peace would be.

And with Medusa's defeat, he had his first taste of freedom from her grip over him. He hid himself, waiting and watching for another near twenty-eight years until Hades had not only resurrected the goddess of Darkness, but destroyed her entirely a short time later. She was gone, and Nemo was free.

Pit had grown strong; anyone could see that, and the addition of his reflection from the Mirror of Truth only made him more dangerous. Viridi had attempted several times to destroy the humans, and he knew Hades wouldn't remain imprisoned forever. War would always be on the horizon until they had effectively destroyed each other.

"Enjoy your reprieve, angels," he mumbled from his place somewhere in the recesses of the Underworld. "It will be your last."


	4. Chapter IV: Lord of the Underworld

"Hahaha HA!" Hades's laugh echoed around the shrine in the City of Souls as he sat back against the throne. He toyed with a soul as he passed it from one hand to another, as if he was taunting its owner. Nemo could sense well enough that it wasn't really Pit's, that Kuro had picked up another on his way back from his assault on his counterpart, but the lord of the Underworld didn't seem to care. "Well, boys, it's been a good day, hasn't it?" He grinned as his gaze scanned the two other living creatures in that hall as the souls of thousands, even millions of beings across the world swirled violently around them outside. "You're both such party poopers. Perk up! This is our ultimate victory!"

"Hmph," Kuro huffed as he leaned against the wall, his arms crossed and one hand holding the bow Palutena had given him five years previous. His red eyes were dark, and he looked to be in a perpetual state of irritation. He may have come supposedly to save himself from the strike that had all but wiped out existence, but he had made his point quite clear that he didn't want to be there. Hades seemed unfazed by it, blissfully unaware that the angel had left not three hours previously and warned Palutena of the impending doom, taking her to the Chaos Vortex as he guessed that another dimension was the only way to avoid the attack. But how could Hades know? Nemo had utilized his power and masked Kuro's movements.

He needed Palutena alive, couldn't let Hades get to her first.

"That white getup is SO unbefitting of you," Hades went on, and Kuro looked at him out of the corner of his eye. His irritation was practically tangible, but, for once, he didn't speak. He'd barely said a word since he'd returned with what he'd passed off as Pit's soul, and Nemo wondered how he was faring as he kept both his and Pit's parts within his own being. He couldn't be sure, but he could guess it was painful. "Seriously. I liked you better with your dark wings. They fit you more!" Kuro rolled his eyes and averted his gaze once more. The Oracle could only wonder how much the remark hurt and angered him. "Oh well. Once I recover and get to work on using these souls, we'll see what we can do. That white look is going to have to go!"

"Are you certain of that, Lord Hades?" Nemo spoke up, and he slowly approached the lord of the Underworld.

"Dear me, Nemo, what do you mean?" Despite his current status, it seemed Hades's mood hadn't deteriorated in the slightest. But what reason would he have to dampen his spirits? As far as he was concerned, he had won.

"Will you recover?" Nemo asked simply, and he felt Kuro's curious gaze on his back.

"Of course, I will!" Hades scoffed. "I'm just a little tired. Nothing a little rest, and maybe a nice cup of tea, can't fix."

"I see…" Nemo sighed. "You poor fool." Though he had said the words softly, silence still fell over the hall to the point that he could hear a draft rustle Kuro's feathers.

"Excuse me?" Hades finally inquired. Nemo lifted his gaze toward him, his violet-red eyes burning.

"I suppose I should thank you," he began as he again stepped forward. "For playing your part. But I no longer have any use for you, and I need something you possess."

"What are you blathering about?" Hades demanded and pushed himself to his feet, though his limbs were shaking. It seemed even he was surprised at how much his strike had exhausted him. But this, of course, was what Nemo had been hoping for.

"I don't need you," Nemo reiterated. "Now, Hades, tell me something. Do you remember Leale?"

"Leale?" Kuro mumbled.

"What about her?" Hades wondered, and Nemo answered by shooting forth a strong blast of dark magic that the lord of the Underworld attempted to block, but largely failed in doing so.

"Everything about her!" the Oracle yelled. "You tortured her! She didn't deserve the cruelty you displayed. You pushed her to practically begging for death. You taunted her… forced her to endure every twist and shot of pain you could cause her." He rushed forward and struck again, knocking Hades back. "I haven't forgotten how she looked just before you destroyed her. I never will. I couldn't do anything then, not like that." His eyes narrowed. "So, Hades, think of this as, in part, avenging her."

"You treacherous rat," Hades spat. "What do you think you're doing?"

"Saving this world," Nemo said shortly and gathered his energy for one final strike that separated his target's soul from his body.

"N-Nemo…" Hades's voice drifted around him, and he ignored it as several dark wisps enveloped the soul.

"You're a fool, Hades," he muttered. "You brought this upon yourself." The wisps struck like lightning, destroying parts of their burden while capturing the others before they returned to their master's outstretched hand. He himself was shocked by the surge of raw and absolute power that they brought, and felt himself briefly black out, his body changing in unseen ways save the paling skin, the streaks of blue and black that formed in his silver hair. And strangely, he felt strength and illness flood him at the same time. This power resisted, did not want to become part of him, but he wasn't about to give it a choice.

He opened his now-bright red eyes and stared at his hands, the dark aura around them that he couldn't entirely cease. Somehow, he had done it.

He had become the new lord of the Underworld.

Hades's now lifeless form lay at his feet, and he gazed at it before calling upon his newfound power and utterly destroying it. There was no sense in leaving it around. No soul would ever bring it to life again. Once he had finished his task, he swallowed and turned around to find Kuro slightly hunched over, gripping his bow until his knuckles turned white, staring at him with a blank and utterly shocked face. He'd gone rather pale as well, but Nemo could guess it was for different reasons. Neither spoke for some time, only watched each other with unwavering eyes. He could do as he liked, for all that Nemo was concerned with, and he was certain he knew what the angel's next move would be.

Kuro seemed to be unable to focus on one emotion at once, though traces of anger found their way to his face along with his confusion, and Nemo made no move to pursue him when he turned and sprinted out of the hall. He gazed up through one of the windows to the raging souls outside.

"Go wake your brother," he mumbled. "We'll see each other again soon. I think it's time I met Pit face to face." He crossed his arms and shut his eyes with a heavy sigh. "Will you hear me out? Or will anger and grief cloud your judgment?" He remained silent for a time. "Leale, I'm sorry. I couldn't make him suffer…" And yet, he had a nagging feeling that she wouldn't have wished for it. Despite everything she had gone through in the moments before her death, he couldn't help but think that she would have hated to see this.

Hated him.

And now, he would plan to spirit Palutena away, to fight against her successor, to recreate the world she'd vowed to protect.

"But my personal feelings no longer have a place here," he sighed. Before he could move on, there was one more thing to take care of now that Pyrrhon had effectively blasted himself to not even the gods knew where. He'd have to take a trip to Phoenix Mountain.


	5. Chapter V: Companions

Up on Phoenix Mountain, among the stone spikes that clawed at the sky and the rivers of lava that would, on occasion, spew into the air, there was a plateau where a large bird rested, its talons gripping the rock beneath its feet. "Sitting" next to its head, or more stabilizing himself in the air via several whips of flame that kept him aloft, was what at first appeared to be a young man. His eyes were bright orange and reflected the flames brilliantly, his skin tanned and his sandy-blonde hair was streaked with dark orange locks. He wore a dark orange tunic belted at the waist with one tattered short sleeve and brown pants that were tucked into his boot on one side and allowed to rest over the other. Over his shoulder was a brown strap bearing the insignia of fire, identifying him as its Oracle.

"Still mad about that, huh?" the boy, called Onore, chuckled as the Phoenix let out a soft, mellow sound. "Look, I was dealing with Underworld fools where I was. And it's not like I could just fry Lady Palutena's angel. He was in the right." The Phoenix cawed at him, and he chuckled. "Hey, bird brain, you didn't HAVE to fight him! You could have just let him have the Wish Seed. He would have found out on his own that it was a fake." It turned its head and stared at him. "Aw well. Nothing we can do about it now. At least the humans seem to be at peace again, and it's been quiet."

He fell silent. Ever since a strange light had crossed the landscape a few days previously, things had been almost TOO quiet. Not a single creature, not a stray Underworld dog, had surfaced anywhere on the mountain.

"Oh well." He patted the Phoenix's beak. "No news is good news, right?" The Phoenix ruffled its feathers and watched him carefully. "You think so?" He frowned. "Maybe you're right. It's almost like when Pyrrhon decided to get his brain eaten by aliens… I feel weird. Like something is way off from how it should be." Again, the Phoenix cawed at him. "Okay, look. That wasn't my fault! It was right before they attacked that I found out he was researching the Aurum in the first place, and he'd been at it for centuries! How was I supposed to know he was going to try to control them himself?" He sighed and massaged his forehead. "Controlling those things probably takes a really strong brain, and that's definitely something he didn't have."

The Phoenix again chirped at him, but with less of a driving force, and Onore leaned his head against its beak. "Thanks. At least I know you're not going anywhere. Nothing can kill you!" It screeched briefly, insulted. "Okay, okay. Nothing can PERMANENTLY kill you. Happy?" It didn't reply, but looked up and its feathers fluffed even more. "What?" He followed its gaze and found a dark flame speeding toward them until it landed and took a human form below.

"Huh," Onore mused. "Nemo? What does he want?" He dropped down to the surface, but the Phoenix grabbed his arm gently in its beak. "Relax!" he assured it. "I can handle it. Maybe he knows something." The Phoenix's grip on him tightened to discomfort, but it didn't particularly hurt. "Come on, buddy. Let me go, will you?" Hesitantly, it released him, and he momentarily assumed the form of a flame-like spirit and made his way to Nemo's location before reverting.

"It's been quite some time, Onore," Nemo greeted as he dipped his head, an acknowledgement that Onore returned.

"Yes, it has," he replied. "What brings you? And…" he scanned over his visitor. "You look different." Beyond Nemo's strange outfit, he looked much paler than usual and his eyes were cast as a bright, vibrant red compared to their violet shade that Onore was used to.

"Things have changed," Nemo replied simply.

"I can see that," Onore agreed. "So… how are you holding up without Medusa? And I heard Hades got free again… what's going on?"

"Good riddance to Medusa," Nemo spat, surprising his fellow Oracle. "As for Hades… I set him free."

Onore stared at him for quite some time.

"WHY?!" he demanded. "You know Hades throws everything off balance! We can't afford having him run around in freedom again!"

"I am aware," Nemo answered. "But, Onore, you must realize that it wasn't only Hades. The humans are in a state of near constant war, and the gods are no better."

"But…" Onore found himself lost and sensed there was something to this he wasn't aware of. "What do you mean? What do you intend to do?"

"I intend to start over," he replied simply. "To rewrite the world as we know it into one where peace has a chance. Eliminating the living from the mortal world was the first step."

"E-Excuse me?"

"Did a light not pass through here a few days ago?" Onore nodded. "That was Hades's ultimate move. The Underworld is bursting at the seams with the souls he collected."

"So how do you plan on rewriting things if he's the one that-"

"I destroyed Hades." Onore couldn't be certain if he was more alarmed by the fact or the simplicity with which Nemo said it. "I claimed his power and am now the lord of the Underworld."

"Wha… buh…" Onore shook his head, trying to form a coherent thought. "You can't do that, Nemo! What makes you think it's in your place to destroy a god?!"

"They're only destroying each other," Nemo sighed. "Themselves, the humans, the natural world… the Celestial Balance has no chance in a world like this. We must start again. And that, Onore, is why I came. Will you join me?" Onore stared at him.

"No way!" he spat. "No. I won't help you cause this mess. You're an idiot, Nemo. You're going to destroy everything we've worked for." He turned and started walking away.

"Is that truly your decision?" Nemo called, and he stopped, though he didn't turn around.

"I don't know how I can make it any clearer. No. I won't be a part of this."

"I see," Nemo sighed. "That's… too bad, my friend." His tone sent a chill through Onore's body. "Then if you're not with me, you're against me, and I will remove you as I would any other obstacle." Onore twisted around in alarm.

"What do you mean?" He demanded.

"If I'm to fulfill the vision I have, then I must have all parts of it on one side. I can't have you opposing me, even if you do not openly do so."

"Is that so?" Onore grit his teeth, and flames burned to life around his hands. "Fine. But I'm not going quietly."

"I didn't expect you to." With that, Nemo enveloped the rock surface around them in darkness, but Onore's fire forced it back. Unfortunately, the new lord of the Underworld had taken the advantageous first strike and caught his opponent by surprise. Onore grunted and retaliated with a whip of fire that burned through a part of Nemo's sleeve, singeing his skin.

"You've gotten stronger since Pyrrhon was defeated," Nemo realized. "But I have as well." A bright light blinded Onore briefly, but long enough for Nemo to send a strike of magic straight through him that brought him to his knees, coughing. "Onore, please. I don't want this to drag on longer than it has to."

"Then I'll finish you off quickly," Onore replied through grit teeth and pulled forth a sword in his right hand. Nemo nimbly dodged around his slashes but took the brunt of a blast of fire that sent him skidding back toward a lava pool, though he recovered his balance before he reached the edge. Onore continued with a slash of his blade that cut across Nemo's shoulder and chest, not deep, but enough to hinder his movements, and he caught the fire blast within a shroud of darkness to extinguish it. Onore's strength, he had to admit, was not what he was expecting, but how could he overlook it? They were arguably the strongest of the Oracles, having lost their respective god and goddess, and both were fighting for what they believed was best for the Celestial Balance.

Nemo, with his skin burned and his eye squinted against the heat around him, produced several balls of eerie light and sent them forth, and they exploded a short distance from his target and he followed up with another shot of magic that struck through Onore once again. The Oracle of Fire grunted in pain and, when the smoke cleared, Nemo found him lying on the rock with his hand inching for his blade. Nemo picked it up and studied it for a moment.

"I'm sorry it had to come to this," he mumbled. "But let me end your suffering." Though death threatened to capture him, Onore's eyes were challenging and full of anger as he clung to his life. Nemo aimed the blade at his fallen opponent and struck quickly.

But not quickly enough. Onore remained defiant against Nemo, even refusing to be killed by his own blade, and he rolled to the side as his sword drove into the ground where he had been not seconds before. His energy spent, the light of life faded from his eyes, and Nemo captured his soul before it could heal.

"Truly, I am sorry," he repeated and bowed his head. "I'll bring you back, my friend… and I hope you'll see that I'm doing this for the betterment of our world." A screech sounded behind him and he looked up to find the Phoenix flying toward him. He resumed his other state of being and sped off toward Skyworld.

The Phoenix came to rest near Onore's fallen body and prodded it gently, but Onore did not respond. Distraught, the Phoenix called out again, its cry echoing across the mountains, but it received no answer. It settled down on the rock surface and unfolded its wings, enveloping its companion's body underneath and shielding him, remaining there until he would one day awaken.


	6. Chapter VI: Weakness

Nemo took a deep breath as he trudged back into the shrine that had become his home within the City of Souls. He felt utterly and completely exhausted after restoring the souls crowding the Underworld to the mortal world as best he could as part of his bargain with Pit. Between that and his loss in the battle, his energy was nearly depleted and he was fighting to stay conscious. He slumped down into the throne and leaned his head back, closing his eyes.

"What do you think you're doing in that seat?"

His eyes flew open and he stared at the source of the voice, unable to believe its source. The serpents in Medusa's hair hissed at him as her cold gaze watched him, and he found himself robbed of his voice.

"I would assume you're simply keeping watch over it for me," she continued. "But I must say you've kept me waiting for far too long. How long have I been gone? I owe that blasted Hades for what he's done to me."

"It's been about five and a half years," he breathed and massaged his forehead. How in creation had she returned? Could it have been that even in her lack of existence, she had still found a way to influence him? Had she used him to bring herself back? It would explain the lack of monsters…

"You've changed," she noticed. "You have so much power about you. You look different, and…" She frowned, and her eyes made him feel like the dirt under her feet. "Since when do you address me in such an informal way? I am your ruling goddess! You exist to serve me."

"I exist to uphold and defend the Celestial Balance," he replied. "Not to mention that I've been on my own for most of the last thirty-three years. And besides," he couldn't suppress his smirk, and he curled his fingers into a fist as he straightened up in the throne. "I'm your ruler now. I am the lord of the Underworld."

"Oh, the lord of the Underworld, are you?" she inquired skeptically, obviously not believing him. "Then enlighten me, Nemo. What happened to Hades?"

"I destroyed him," he replied simply and grit his teeth. "Defending the Balance, taking power to use with that goal in mind, and avenging Leale as best I could. And I assured that he cannot return, unlike you." She stared at him.

"Just what do you mean by that? And what did that little traitor mean to you?"

"Your actions at her death were beyond cruelty!" he snapped. "The world is better off without you, Medusa. I didn't take control of the Underworld so I would have to deal with you again. You know I've NEVER liked being in your service, especially since you were banished here." Her anger was nearly tangible, but he didn't care. "You hunger for power and thirst for revenge. I cannot, WILL NOT, allow you to continue terrorizing this world- any part of it."

"Nemo," she said in a low voice, and he could tell that she would have attempted to destroy him right then in there if she had been at full power. But they were both weak, neither able to influence or overpower the other in the ways that they should have. "Do you honestly think you can order me around? You think you can fight me? You are the Oracle of Darkness no matter what petty ability and power you've gained. You still answer to me."

"Again, Medusa: You're wrong," he reiterated. "I answer to myself and to the Celestial Balance." He summoned several Underworld minions and directed them toward her. "Don't fear her: She's powerless. Take her down and imprison her- tightly." They obeyed, though she resisted as fiercely as she could.

"You can't do this to me!" she argued. "You fool! You're nothing!"

"I'm much more than you give me credit for," he replied in a level voice. "Don't bother fighting, Medusa. If anyone is nothing, it's you."

Oh, how he would regret those words. Roughly twenty years later, she had managed to take command of part of the Underworld Army, and explaining the "renegades" to Pit and Kuro hadn't been easy, especially as her numbers increased. And now, she had suddenly entered the audience chamber.

"What are you doing here?!" he demanded as he got to his feet.

"I am leaving," she replied smugly. "I do not have need of you, Nemo. I merely need you out of my way so that I may continue on."

"You fool," he sighed. "You can't get past me. And even if you do, then you'll never be able to defeat Pit!"

"Oh, yes," she smiled and ran her fingers across her staff. "Pit, the pretender god of Light with that treacherous doppelganger and his new, unstable little angel." She chuckled, making him feel uneasy. "A house divided cannot stand, dear Nemo. You would do well to remember that." He wanted to reply with a challenging comment, but none came. "Now, then. You, Nemo, little Oracle, will let me pass." He felt his muscles tense as he approached her.

"Not on your life," he growled as her gaze fell on him once again.

"You don't have a choice in the matter, you pathetic swine. I am leaving for Skyworld, and you will not stop me."

"Guess again!" he argued and set himself into a battle stance, but she just laughed.

"Oh, you're simply too much. Do you honestly think you can fight me? Go ahead and try." She spread her arms and smirked at him. "Come now. If you can attack me, do it!"

He should have seen through her challenge, but he didn't. Her words carried an underlying order that he couldn't outright deny, and he struck. Unfortunately, she volleyed his attack back at him and he cried out, crumpling to the ground with his power sealed back. She approached him and slid her fingers under his chin, angling his face toward hers.

"You serve me, little Oracle," she said darkly. "I am your ruling goddess. You cannot challenge me." Unable to find his voice to argue, he grit his teeth and glared at her. "Now. I'm off, and you will not stand in my way, understand?" Again, he didn't reply. "Hmph. Then be a good little lord of the Underworld and watch over this land, will you? I'll be taking what troops I deem necessary." She released him and he fell to the ground, anger shooting through his body like white-hot fire, but he found he couldn't get to his feet until she had departed. He punched the ground as his body trembled rather violently as his ragged breath came in gasps and left in pants.

"Why am I so weak?!" he shouted at the window above, still broken from when Pit had smashed through it with Palutena's fading soul in tow. He forced himself to his feet, slowly, like the force of gravity was clawing down on him, keeping him tethered to the floor. "Damn you, Medusa," he spat and snorted as he felt his strength and power come flooding back to him. "You're heading for your own destruction. If you couldn't beat him before, then you have no chance now."

"You so sure of that, Lord Nemo?" He looked around to find a beautiful, blue-haired goddess grinning at him as she floated in the air with her arms and legs crossed.

"You should know that more than anyone, Pandora," he said flatly. "But what makes you ask?"

"Oh, nothing," she scoffed, waving her hand. "You should loosen up. All that stress can't be good for you. Maybe you can try yoga?"

"What do you want?"

"Nothing," she repeated. "I just wanted to see how our dear lord is faring. Don't worry; I'm not going to waltz off to help Medusa. I know all too well her record."

"Can't say I think you're all that loyal to me," he sighed heavily, regaining his usual composure though the anger still sat in his core like a rock. "But what is loyalty down here? You'll follow whoever's the strongest."

"My, you see right through us, don't you?" she said with a laugh. "Well done, Master Nemo. Well, I'm sure you're going to be busy for a while. Ta-ta!" She winked and disappeared within a quick burst of blue fire, and he sunk into the throne as he massaged his forehead.

"Rather her than Thanatos," he grumbled. If anyone in the Underworld bothered him, it was the god of Death and his showy, even immature, attitude and actions. Nemo was practically looking for an excuse to get rid of him and replace him with someone more tolerable. And quieter. "Well, Medusa," he went on, "No one's expecting you to win." Not even one of her former allies. "So why are you even trying?" He searched his memory, history, anything that could possibly yield an answer, but found nothing.

Not to mention Pandora's sudden appearance. He knew she'd been revived when he restored their world as best he could, and he'd crossed paths with her on occasion. But she'd never just popped in like that, and her rather upbeat attitude made him nervous for reasons he couldn't quite place.

"She's planning something," he mumbled, but he had no idea what, and he couldn't spend much time pondering it as he worried about Medusa. She was too confident, too sure of her victory… she had fallen thrice now, twice by Pit and once by Hades. And she somehow knew of Pit's new position in Skyworld, so why was she so sure she would be victorious?

He sighed heavily, knowing he'd be sorry he asked by the end of this.


	7. Chapter VII: Traitors

"I told you, Pit." Medusa's voice was like ice as her fingernails scratched into his skin under his jaw, her face inches from his as the snakes in her hair slithered across his forehead, his cheek, down to his shoulder. "I'd rip you of your wings and sever you from the heavens forever." He could feel her breath on his face as he tried to surrender himself into unconsciousness, the only escape he had from the pain. He could feel blood trickle down his bare back and the cuffs on his wrists dug into his skin. "Oh, no, no, my dear Pit," she smiled darkly. "You're not going anywhere." He looked up and grit his teeth.

"I-I'll stop you," he panted, his eyes bright. Despite his words, she merely laughed at him.

"You'll stop me?" she repeated. "Oh, you poor fool! Just how do you intend to do that?" She swept her staff around, gesturing to the darkened Skyworld around them. "Look, Pit. Drop your bravado and pay attention. You're trapped. No one can save you!" His eyes trained to the sky, scanning them for any signs of the Centurions, but all he saw were Underworld monsters that picked off the last few survivors.

"Lord Pit," he turned his head to find Elora looking up at him against the wall. "Don't worry. We'll be okay." Alarmed, he looked back up to Medusa, but she seemed distracted by something.

"Wh-where's Kuro?" he whispered, and he tasted something rustic, salty, and warm on his lip. Elora's blank expression confused him. "Elora, tell me. Where is he?" But there was no hint of recognition in her eyes.

"Trust me, Lord Pit," she replied, practically ignoring his question, and this only worried him more. Where was Kuro? Why was Elora avoiding the subject of the red-eyed angel? If he had been slain… Medusa would have been taunting him with his brother's fallen body. And how hadn't the goddess gotten to Elora yet? Her combat skill had only improved slightly and she still couldn't fly on her own.

"G-get out of here," he ordered. "Before Medusa-"

"Before Medusa what?" she turned to him, her gaze cutting through him like a red-hot sword. "What more would you like me to do?"

"Elora, run!" he barked, and his chest hurt with the effort. "Go! Quickly!" But Elora again simply stared at him, not budging. "What are you waiting for?" She didn't respond, just gazed at him with unreadable eyes.

"Trust me, Lord Pit," she finally repeated, and Medusa paid her no heed as she approached the young god of Light.

"Poor, poor little Pit," she mused as she raised her hand up to grip his throat tightly. "You don't seem to realize the position that you're in." He found his voice struggling and looked up briefly to see a dark feather falling toward him. But… this feather wasn't the shadowy teal color he'd once seen. Medusa's grip on his throat tightened, sending a panic through his body, and her grin was maniacal. "You're 'finished' for the last time, you pathetic scrap of nothing." He felt her nails break his skin, cutting off the scream he'd been holding back.

That scream escaped from his throat rather violently until it was cut off by coughing as Pit bolted awake, clutching the fabric of his undershirt over his chest as he gasped for air. His body was covered in a cold sweat, and he couldn't stop himself from trembling. He unfolded his wings and laid back in an attempt to calm himself as he stared blankly at the skylight overhead and the wispy clouds outside that partially blocked the stars. His heart slowly returned to its natural rhythm and his breathing became less labored, but something about the nightmare still clawed at him and made him nervous. Something was off, wrong, but he had no idea what.

So, naturally, when a knock came at his door, he jumped and his heart took off racing again for a brief moment before he sighed heavily.

"Come in," he said once he'd managed to find his voice. The door's handle turned and it opened as Elora peaked her head in. "Elora?"

"I know it's late, Lord Pit. I'm sorry for the intrusion." He nodded and motioned for her to enter. She complied, though she remained in front of the door.

"Is there any particular reason you're fully dressed?" he wondered. "You're right. It is late. So what brings you here?"

"It's the angels' code of conduct," Elora smiled a little. "We must always be ready for duty. But I know Commander Kuro isn't the greatest at following that rule." Pit chuckled and shrugged. Indeed, Kuro wasn't much for always looking like he was ready. He was arguably the least compatible with early morning hours when it came to Skyworld's denizens and he often slept wearing his shorts and nothing else. Why, Pit couldn't be sure nor did he want to ask. But if something were to strike during the night, Pit had no doubt that Kuro would head out immediately and put a stop to it. All he needed was a weapon.

"Yes, but that doesn't mean you can't relax a little," he replied. "Now, then. What is it?"

"I just… I couldn't sleep," she began. "And I feel like… I don't know, like something bad is going to happen." She seemed incredibly hesitant about her words and Pit could tell that something was bothering her greatly. A chill crept down his spine as he considered his nightmare. Could Medusa truly return?

"Alright," Pit nodded and got out of bed. "Wait for me in the hall, will you? We'll go and take a look around."

"Yes, sir." She nodded and exited the room, closing the door behind her, and he quickly dressed himself in his usual attire save his armor. He took a deep breath and followed the angel out into the corridor.

"Come on. Let's head for the Gate Chamber." She followed close behind as they headed through the temple, and Pit could sense that something was greatly bothering her. "Do you have any ideas as to why you're feeling like this?"

"I… no," she replied. "Do you think Master Nemo is up to something?"

"I doubt it," Pit answered. "Nemo is a relatively decent guy. He wouldn't attack unless provoked." At least, that's what he thought, anyway. The two reached the Gate Chamber and Pit opened the door, stepping inside as Elora closed it behind them. Something felt off about the air around him, like a dark presence was waiting to make itself known. "Let me check the fountain…" he said, not sure if he was talking to Elora or himself. Just as he spread his wings, though, she spoke up.

"Over there!" She pointed toward the platform just as a figure emerged from behind it, and Pit's eyes widened in shock as he made out her features.

"It's been quite some time, hasn't it, Pit?" It was the same voice that taunted him in his nightmares, the same venomous words that clawed at his ears and choked his words.

"M-Medusa?!"

"Yes," she replied, smirking as she fingered her staff and the snakes in her hair hissed at him. "Surprised to see me? Now, tell me, will you? Where is Palutena?"

"You won't find her," he replied flatly, clenching his fingers into fists. "How did you come back?! Hades destroyed you!"

"Yes, but Nemo is such a loyal little pet." Her smirk grew. "He is the Oracle of Darkness, after all. He knew his place and preformed quite well. And then, there's you, hm? Tell me, did you usurp power from Palutena as Nemo did from Hades? Or did you worm your way in like a parasite and stab her in the back?"

"What are you talking about?" he demanded, but she chuckled.

"Don't play dumb with me, Pit. You're the god of Light now, are you not?"

"How did you…"

"Meaning our dear Palutena isn't around anymore, is she? Oh, how has her puppet been faring? You must be simply beside yourself." His fists tightened and he grit his teeth.

"I've been doing just fine, thanks," he growled. "I beat you when I was just a child, Medusa. You might as well just surrender now."

"Yes, if I couldn't defeat a lowly little cherub all those years ago, how can I possibly stand up to a god?" The sarcasm in her words made him nervous. She was too confident, too calm, too optimistic.

"What are you planning?" he inquired, though she simply rolled her eyes and shook her head.

"I suppose I'll show you." With that, she shot forth an orb of dark magic and he rolled over to the side to dodge. What he didn't account for, though, was Elora being right behind him and taking the brunt of the blow. She doubled over with a yelp and fought to stay on her feet as her knees threatened to buckle.

"Elora!" he called. "Are you okay?" She didn't respond as Medusa approached her. "Get away from her!"

"So, this is your angel, hm? What a charming little lady."

"Get BACK!" Pit struck with a similar attack, a ball of light that hit its target and sent her scurrying back. He raced over and planted himself between Elora and the goddess of Darkness.

"So…" Medusa wiped her lip on her sleeve and watched him carefully. "You've learned a few new tricks, hm? Tell me, do you have the gift of foresight now?"

"What's it to you?" he shot back, his voice low.

"I suppose you could say I'm curious as to what you'll see coming," she smiled and a soft laugh escaped her lips. "Though, even with all of Palutena's wisdom, you're still that brainless scrap you've always been." He blinked. Though the insult meant little to him, something about her words greatly bothered him.

He didn't have time to think about it, though, as a searing pain suddenly shot through his torso, centering at the middle of his back as he arched forward.

"Sorry, Lord Pit," Elora mumbled as she removed the Viper Blade she'd suddenly acquired, and he felt some strange grip overcome him as he fought off the poison the blade carried. But there was something else- something he couldn't identify, that made him feel sluggish.

"Well done!" Medusa smiled and pointed her staff at Pit. "Sad, isn't it? You just can't find good help these days." He clenched his teeth as he met her gaze, focusing what power he still had access to. "Now, I'm going to do something I should have done over fifty years ago. I look forward to having a statue of the great god of Light as part of my décor."

So, what foresight he did possess served its purpose. Just as her staff shone with an eerie light, he let go of his consciousness and felt something leave his body, taking with it everything that made him who he was. And what he left behind quickly petrified.

"I must admit, you did well, Elora," Medusa praised as she approached the young angel. "You're quite strong."

"Apparently, I got it from my dad," she shrugged. "But thank you, Lady Medusa." She watched Pit's stone form for several moments. "Commander Kuro is not going to be happy about this."

"Now, tell me," Medusa went on as she trod over to the statue. "Who exactly is this 'Kuro?' That name must mean something like 'dark' or 'black…'"

"Commander Kuro is Lord Pit's brother," Elora replied. "His twin, even. They just have different hair and eyes." Medusa turned to her.

"Black hair and red eyes?" Elora nodded. "What color are his wings?"

"White," Elora answered, confused. "What else would they be?"

"And you say they're twins…" Medusa smirked. "Oh, that treacherous little…" she sighed. "I think it's time you stopped believing a lie. They're not brothers, Elora. Your so-called 'Commander' is nothing more than an unnatural reflection called 'Dark Pit.'" Elora's eyes widened. "And we'll be taking him out next."


	8. Chapter VIII: In Pieces

"You have fifteen seconds to explain before I shove this sword through your skull." Pit, in his more-or-less conscious state vaguely recognized the voice to be Kuro's, and he sounded angrier than usual.

"I didn't mean for this to happen," another voice replied. "I didn't know she would come back too. That was never my intention, and I did my best to keep her contained."

"Really." Kuro didn't sound convinced. "Clock's ticking. Ten seconds." The other voice sighed heavily.

"Look, it was back when Pit first beat me and I restored the world as per our bargain. But I didn't anticipate her somehow appearing. I don't know if she found a way to channel what I was doing without my noticing or what have you, but-"

"Three seconds."

"But I've kept her locked up since then. But… she is the goddess of Darkness and I'm the Oracle of the same element. She recovered despite my best efforts and managed to overpower me. .I'm sorry." They were both silent for several moments.

"So, what you're saying is that you're weak," Kuro finally said. Again, more silence.

"Alright, fine!" Nemo yelled. "Yes, I was weak! Yes, being an Oracle has again been my downfall. I didn't mean for this to happen! I did the best I could, but it wasn't enough!" His loud words ricocheted around Pit's pounding head.

"Can you both quiet down?" he grumbled as he opened his eyes, blinking in an attempt to clear his blurred vision. They both turned to him, and Kuro crouched down where he was lying on the ground. "I've got a headache and neither of you are helping it."

"Thank all that's holy you're awake," he sighed as Pit sat up. "Are you feeling okay?" As his vision finally cleared, Pit turned his head and mentally assessed his current state.

"No," he replied. "I feel like I got smashed by an Orne. What's going on?" Kuro looked at him, puzzled.

"You don't remember?" Pit searched through his recent memory for answers, and what he got, he didn't anticipate.

"Medusa!" He fell backward before rolling forth and springing to his feet. "Medusa was in the Gate chamber and… Elora… She stabbed me and Medusa said she was going to turn me to stone…" As everything came rushing back to him, he arched his neck and looked over his shoulder. Sure enough, his wings were missing and he felt strange, like something was out of place, like he was missing something.

"So, it's true," Kuro sighed heavily. "Elora betrayed us and took Medusa's side. But why?"

"I don't know," Nemo sighed. "I've never heard of an angel betraying his or her goddess without good reason. And I don't see any reason why she'd turn against you." He shook his head. "But we should get you somewhere safe, Pit. Medusa'll be looking frantically for you, Kuro, and if she sees that he's still here, then…"

"I can handle it," Pit interrupted. "She caught me off guard, sure. But I'll be ready for her if I'm on the offensive." The way Nemo stared at him made him uncomfortable.

"And just what are you going to do if she destroys your soul?" he asked, and Pit blinked.

"Excuse me?"

"I know you've already noticed that you lack your wings. How about that you're in your supposedly human form?" He looked himself over, and sure enough, Nemo was right. His garb was the same as that he had used when dealing with Elora's younger brother, Yoshua, a few months previously.

"Okay…" he sighed. "But what does that have to do with my soul?" His eyes trained from Nemo to Kuro, then back.

"That's how I found you," Kuro explained. "I woke up feeling like something was… I don't know, off? And when I went outside, I saw Medusa and Elora coming out of the temple. When I went to investigate, I saw your petrified body inside, but I knew you yourself weren't there." He tapped his chest with one finger. "Two sides of the same coin, one soul, remember?"

"Wait, wait, wait," Pit said. "You're saying my body is still up in Skyworld and it's been turned to stone?" Kuro nodded. "Then how the heck am I here?"  
"My guess is that you somehow managed to split yourself," Nemo replied. "You knew you were in danger and couldn't fully escape, so you manifested your life force and at least part of your power into another state of being. Observe." He poked Pit in the arm.

"Ow," Pit complained and rubbed the spot where he'd been poked, confusion hitting him like fire from a Monoeye. "Wait. Why did that hurt so much?"

"Physical manifestation, I assume," Nemo went on. "In other words, you have no sense of physical defense right now. This, the form you've taken, is basically a shell of your former self that you created to house your soul and at least part of your power. So, if something happens to you in this state, then it'll likely end up destroying your soul. And that wouldn't be good for either of you. I am curious about one thing, though."

"What?"  
"Your soul has been separated, arguably severed, from your body. How is he," he pointed toward Kuro, "still functioning?" Kuro scowled at him.  
"Maybe because it was my doing?" Pit guessed, rubbing the back of his neck. "Or maybe because a part of me still exists even within that strikingly handsome statue up in Skyworld."

"I'd be punching you in the shoulder if you weren't so fragile," Kuro remarked. "This is serious, Pit. I don't want to find out what would happen if Medusa gets to you."

"Then we should get back to Skyworld as soon as we can," Pit went on. "The sooner, the better, so Medusa doesn't have time to prepare a defense or counterattack." Again, Kuro stared at him.

"One, how do you plan on getting there?" Pit blinked as realization crashed over him.

"Great," he mumbled. "It's like the first thirty years of my life all over again." As an angel, anyway.

"I can probably help," Nemo volunteered. "And I'll gladly help you fight, even if I can't challenge Medusa directly. Her low-life minions are another story." Despite everything, he smiled a bit. "Those brainless little traitors need to pay. So I can see what I can do about getting you up there."

"Alright, then that moves us to number two," Kuro continued. "We'll be having to worry about Elora. I don't doubt that I could beat her when push comes to shove, but, from what I've heard, she's arguably the strongest angel Skyworld's ever seen. Add that to whatever Medusa would give her, and we're looking at quite a force."

"I don't want to have to kill her unless we've got no other choice," Pit said. "I want to know why she did this in the first place."

"May I make a suggestion?" Nemo inquired, and Pit nodded. "Kuro, if you can distract Elora- and I know you can- then I should be able to restore Pit's real body if he can put himself back together. So while you draw Elora's attention, he and I can head to the temple, and once he's back the way he should be, then Medusa won't have a chance."

"Or we could just smack him on the head with a mallet," Kuro smirked. "But I don't think I've seen any lying around for some time."

"Haven't needed them," Pit shrugged. "The Centurions haven't been petrified in years."  
"Regardless," Kuro went on, "You want him to fight?" Nemo nodded.

"If he has to, then yes. And I'd need him with me to fix this mess." He turned to Pit. "This would arguably be easier if you'd just let Medusa petrify you completely."

"Well, excuse me for wanting to survive," Pit replied flatly and, with a bit of effort, summoned his bow. "Anyway, Viridi once gave me a bit of advice: 'Don't get hurt, and you won't die.'"

"And we've seen how well that's worked with you, what with your getting yourself finished all the time," Kuro pointed out, though Pit could tell he was trying hard not to laugh.

"Hey, hey! I haven't gotten finished since that first battle with Hades."

"Which one? The one when the Great Sacred Treasure got destroyed and Medusa had to save you, ironically, or the one when he destroyed the Three Sacred Treasures and you got eaten?" Pit glared at him.

"Never mind. The point is I've gotten stronger and faster since then."

"Maybe, but I wonder if that truly applies in your form now," Nemo thought aloud. "You don't have your wings, so you certainly can't fly. But I suppose I don't see any reason why you shouldn't be, at the very least, competent in battle. And one hit isn't going to finish you- I'm just not sure how many it would take."

"I'd rather not find out," Pit agreed.

"Then I'll fly ahead and grab Elora's attention," Kuro continued. "She's probably looking for me anyway." He grabbed hold of the clasp on his shoulder briefly and a light enveloped his body, equipping the armor Dyntos had created for him before they had challenged Hades for a second time. "Then you two can do your stuff. But Pit, seriously. Be careful."

"I will," Pit assured him with a smile. "Don't worry about me."

"I'm not," he insisted, though Pit was sure he was lying. "I'm just worried about my own skin- something happens to you, then I'm done for without even trying."

"Uh huh." Pit shook his head. "Watch yourself, then. And good luck."

"You too." He turned to Nemo briefly. "If something happens to him, I'm flaying you, understand?"

"All too well," Nemo acknowledged. With that, Kuro nodded and took flight, circling up for the heavens. Once he was out of sight, Pit turned to the lord of the Underworld.

"So, do you have a plan to get up there?"

"I do," he nodded. "But I need you to trust me." They simply stared at each other for a few moments of awkward silence.

"All right," Pit finally agreed. "Sorry. I-"

"I understand," Nemo cut him off. "I've given you plenty of reasons not to trust me. But, if you're ready, then we'll go." Pit nodded. "All right." With that, Nemo inhaled and raised his hands toward his chest, then suddenly burst into what, at first glance, appeared to be a black and purple flame. Pit swallowed his automatic panic and his muscles clenched, and he squeezed his eyes shut as the spirit enveloped him.


	9. Chapter IX: Futile

A short time later, Pit landed with a thud just outside Skyworld's temple, the breath knocked out of him. He fought with himself to open his eyes as terror gripped him, freezing his body. Even if it wasn't truly fire holding him, the sense of it still struck through him and lit the memory he wanted to banish from his mind.

"Pit?" Nemo wondered after he resumed his usual, human-like state of being. "Are you okay?" Pit opened his eyes one at a time and glanced around, then got to his feet.

"Y-Yeah," he replied, his voice shaking. "Sorry. Let's get going before- Wah!" Before he had a chance to finish, Nemo shoved him against the wall and pulled him down, sending pain shooting through his body. "Ow. What was-"

"Shh!" Nemo commanded, silencing him, and voices reached his ears.

"That's all I want to know, Elora. Why did you do this?!" He recognized it to be Kuro's, and the voice was quickly followed by the sound of shots fired.

"Lady Medusa belongs in Skyworld," Elora replied, though Pit could barely hear her over the sound of her battle with her commander. "Palutena was in no position to banish her! You always say we have a balance to protect- that's what I'm doing!"

"And stabbing Pit in the back was protecting the Balance?" Kuro demanded. "Medusa is part of the reason the world is in so much trouble! Lady Palutena acted to protect the humans and Skyworld."

"Maybe it's you and Lord Pit who are wrong!" Elora accused as Kuro flew by, and she was following him in the air with the Power of Flight. Pit hadn't been aware that Medusa could grant it. "Lady Medusa is actually helping me grow and develop my ability. You both just held me back!"

"We held you back because you weren't ready," Kuro replied, and it sounded like his teeth were clenched. "Because you're unstable and your strength needs to be channeled. You were going to hurt yourself or someone else with your wild combat style."

"But look at me!" she yelled. "I'm flying! I-"

"For five minutes," Kuro growled. "Any longer, and your wings will burn." Again, the memory sent pain shooting through Pit's back in place of the wings he lacked. "Your wings will mature, Elora. You just need time."

"Later, later! Always later!" Elora retorted. "You always say I have to wait. I've been waiting for years! I'm done waiting! Lady Medusa doesn't make me wait!"

"So, that's it," Nemo mumbled. "Come on. Let's get moving while Kuro has her distracted." Pit nodded and hurried inside the temple with his companion hot on his heels. "She didn't like that you were holding her back, even if you thought it was best, and Medusa gave her a window of opportunity."

"That little part about the Balance, though…" Pit pondered as he processed what he'd overheard. "Does she really think Medusa was meant to stay in Skyworld?"

"I wonder if Medusa managed to convince her somehow," Nemo guessed. "That's the only explanation I can think of. But if-" he stopped short as they were spotted by several Skuttlers and Snowmen. "Never mind."

"Are you ready to fight?" Pit wondered as he readied his bow.

"I am if you are. But remember- try not to get hit."

"I know, I know." Pit smiled. "Let's do this." He shot an arrow forth as he dashed forward and destroyed one of the Skuttlers, and Nemo followed up with a strike of dark magic that exploded once it hit its target. Pit dodged around the frosty blast of a Snowman and shot several arrows, then ran forward and slashed through it several time, rolling to the side once he beat it to evade the other's icy breath. He struck again, cutting through it until he'd destroyed it, and Nemo finished off the other Skuttlers.

"Lead on," the silver-haired Oracle prompted, and Pit proceeded down the hallway to the Gate's Chamber. Unfortunately, the statue that was his body was nowhere to be found.

"Figures she would move it," he sighed. "But… It's got to be somewhere in here."

"How can you be so sure?" Nemo wondered.

"I can… sense it, I think," Pit replied. "I think it's in the lower levels. Let's get going- Kuro's fight isn't going to last forever." Nemo nodded, but a swarm of Underworld troops broke into the chamber and surrounded them.

"Great," Nemo sighed as he and Pit set their stances, back to back. "I was afraid they would let us get bored."

"Medusa's pretty good about that," Pit chuckled. "If she's around, then I'm never bored." He sprinted forward and spun his bow, slashing through his target, then rolled back and sprung back to his feet, though he took the brunt of the fire from a Mik, and agonizing pain shot through his body. He regained his composure after swallowing a scream and looked back at Nemo. "You gonna help me?"

"Get behind me," Nemo replied.

"But-"

"Just get behind me!" he snapped, and Pit obeyed. With that, Nemo took a deep breath and unleashed a strong blast of dark magic that immediately took out anything in its path.

"Oh." Pit smiled and shot a charged arrow forth that took out one of the remaining stragglers, then fired a small orb of light that finished the other. "I admit it's kind of nice not being restricted only to my weapon."

"Yeah," Nemo agreed. "Whew. Alright, let's go." They exited the chamber and Pit led the way down a hall to the side and a staircase.

"Wait," he stopped, and Nemo ran into him. "Something just occurred to me."

"What?"

"Wouldn't Medusa know we're here? Why hasn't she just come herself?"

"I'm an Oracle, remember?" Nemo smiled. "Combine that with my ability as the lord of the Underworld, and I can shield both myself and you from her if she's scanning the temple. I don't think I'll be able to continue that after you get your real body back, but…"

"I won't need it, then," Pit laughed. "Thanks."

"You're welcome." They found a duo of armored Skuttlers guarding a set of double doors in the next hall, and Pit nodded.

"Thought so. Not very creative, Medusa." He and Nemo set to work defeating them before they could fire their attacks, and the duo proceeded through the door. "There you are!" Sure enough, Pit's petrified form was inside, its wrists and ankles chained to the floor. Pit started toward it, but Nemo yanked him back. "What?" The sudden shrimp thrown at him answered his question as a Tempura Wizard emerged from behind the statue. "Oh."

"Yeah. Go take cover. I'll handle this." Before he could argue, Nemo dashed around and sent a wave of darkness at his target. The Tempura Wizard took the brunt of the blow, but it remained standing and countered. And, sure enough, Pit was now staring at an overgrown fried shrimp with legs.

"Uh, Nemo?" To his surprise, Nemo reverted almost immediately and struck forth again, destroying the Wizard. "How'd you do that?"  
"Do what?"

"Turn back so quickly."

"I'm a god," Nemo answered. "And so are you. We've got the ability to change our forms, and that includes negating the Eggplant and Tempura Wizards' attacks."

"Oh. Cool."

"Yes. So you don't have to worry about being eggplanted." Nemo smiled. "Kuro, on the other hand, still has to."

"He'll get over it," Pit chuckled as he approached his petrified body. "Now… what do we do from here?"

"First thing's first," Nemo produced what, at first glance, looked like a dagger formed from his dark energy, and he used it to cut through the shackles keeping the statue imprisoned. "Now… well, that's up to you. You'll have to rejoin your body before I can do anything."

"And how do I do that?" Pit inquired. Nemo lowered his gaze in thought.

"I suppose you'll need to surrender your current form. It's almost acting like a prison for your soul." Pit blinked, and Nemo sighed. "Okay. You don't think you can do that on your own, do you?"

"I don't think so," he admitted.

"Very well. Then…" Before he could object, Nemo dashed toward him and a searing pain took hold of his body just as he blacked out. There was nothing, no sense of anything, just darkness.

There was cold. He felt like the very core of his being was frozen, immobile, restricted, unable to do anything. Then, there was warmth, and he felt himself moving toward it as it thawed him. Then, finally, there was light.

He crumpled to the ground and opened his eyes, his muscles stiff and aching as his head slowly cleared. He blinked several times and found himself staring at Nemo, who watched him carefully.

"Are you feeling okay?" the dark entity asked as Pit sat up and looked himself over. Everything seemed to be in order, and he felt relief flood his system at the sight of his white wings.

"Better now," he agreed. "Thanks, Nemo. But… what did you do?"

"I reduced your former state of being down to its form purely as a soul and returned it to your body," he explained, though Pit had trouble keeping up, "and then I simply reversed Medusa's effect on your body and returned you to your natural state."

"Uh…" he rubbed the back of his head. "Thank you?"

"Thank me later, once you've defeated Medusa."

"Right." Pit jumped to his feet and started toward the back wall.

"Uh, the door's that way," Nemo pointed out, and Pit glanced over his shoulder at him.

"I know. But I need some supplies." He turned back to the wall and broke through it with a quick blast of light, revealing a small hidden room with a single sealed chest within. Nemo watched him curiously as he dispelled the seal and pulled out a clasp similar to Kuro's and an elegant, but incredibly sharp, curved bow that resembled two wings.

"Oh." Sure enough, the lord of the Underworld would recognize the new Sacred Treasures when he saw them, just as Pit had used them in their dual so many years previous.

"Yep. I'm not taking any chances." The young god of Light equipped the Orichalcum Armor and readied the Winged Bow. "Kuro's got the Energy Shield, but I think I'll be okay without it. Now, let's get going!" Nemo nodded and they both hurried out of the room, upstairs, down the main corridor, and back outside.

"Only you can go from being made of stone to challenging the goddess of Darkness," Nemo sighed as Pit took flight, and the Oracle resumed his spirit form and sped forth at his side.

"Yeah, but I gotta do what I gotta do, right?" Pit shrugged. "One quick stop, though." He circled around the temple and found Kuro, still in flight, battling Elora as she fired from the islet below, her flight time expired.

"Well, look who it is." A ghostly form appeared above another structure in Skyworld, though it quickly solidified into the goddess of Darkness herself. "Back so soon, Pit?"

"You can't beat me, Medusa," he replied. "I defeated you when I was a child. I beat you thirty years ago when I was still a flightless angel. Now, I'm fully grown, my wings have matured, and I'm the god of Light. What chance do you still believe you have?" To something of his surprise, she didn't immediately respond.

"_It seems she didn't calculate for your recovering so quickly,"_ Nemo guessed, and Medusa glared at him.

"I should have known you'd be the rat you are and help him," she realized flatly. "Treacherous little-"

"_Medusa, when will you listen to me?" _Nemo demanded. _"I don't serve you! Not directly. My loyalty lies with the Celestial Balance, and almost everything you've done has put it into peril. I may not be able to challenge you directly, but I can help the one who can."_

"I see," she sneered. "And what about you, Pit? What will you do with your little angel here?"

"I got her," Kuro interjected and landed a short distance away from the newest angel and readied his bow again. "You want to intervene up there, Elora? You have to get through me first."

"Don't think I won't try," she replied, though she sounded incredibly winded.

"_Don't let them distract you," _Nemo advised. _"Just focus on fighting Medusa."_

"Right." Pit summoned his staff in a bright light and imbued his wings with his own Power of Flight, speeding toward his adversary. "Medusa! I swear to you, this will be the last time we meet in battle! I will defeat you, once and for all!" Despite everything, she only laughed.

"Very well. Come, little god. Fight me! Prove your strength and power!" He gathered his power into his staff and shot forth a blinding light, and she screeched in pain as it enveloped her and left her breathless. "Ha… you certainly are Palutena's successor… even stronger than she ever was. But you could never replace her."

"I don't want to replace her," he replied. "I'll do the best I can in her stead. But, I will do as I see fit as I rule over Skyworld. I am not Lady Palutena. I am Pit, the god of Light!" With that, he dismissed his staff and angled up, dodging around her snakes as they snapped at him and the beams shot from her eyes. She released several shots from her palm toward him, but he cast a barrier that blocked them and focused his energy into his bow. He inhaled, pulled the arrow back, and released it to hit his target. And hit her, it did. She shrieked and shrunk down to a more manageable size, and he flew down to meet her as she fell to her knees, her serpents drooping in exhaustion.

"Y-You're so strong…" she gasped as he approached her. "I… miscalculated…"

"I've been this way for over twenty years," he told her. "I've learned a few things. I know all your tricks, Medusa. There's nothing more you can do. But…" he paused. "I'm not like you. If you'll surrender your power and behave, then I'll spare you." With her façade of beauty dispelled, she stared up at him with her single, monstrous red eye, and he couldn't tell what she was thinking. One thing, though, he could be sure of: he saw fear in her.

"Fool…" she spat. "I don't need your charity." She heaved herself to her feet, bracing herself against her staff. "You're too soft. If you're going to defeat me, then stop being a coward and finish me off."

"Lady Medusa!" Pit leaned to the side and dodged the shot Elora fired at him, and she showed up on their islet a moment later with Kuro right behind her. The goddess of Darkness stared at her, and her eye narrowed.

"It's time." That's all she said, one more order for her newest minion, but Elora only nodded and made no move as Kuro approached her with his bow ready to strike at a moment's notice. Medusa turned her attention back to Pit. "Well? Are you going to finish me off or not?!" He simply watched her carefully, unable to dismiss the pity he felt for her. She had gotten sloppier with every battle, more desperate to see him fall. But, if anything, he'd proven that she simply couldn't defeat him. He opened his mouth to reply.

But, before he could say anything, a black flame suddenly rocketed down from above and enveloped her. She screamed, sending a sharp chill through Pit's body, and within moments, she was gone as Nemo resumed his physical state of being, his eyes dark and unreadable as Pit stared at him.

"I can't believe you would even consider keeping her around," he said simply.

"How did you…"

"She was weak. She couldn't overpower me any longer."

"Oof!" Pit whipped his head back to see Kuro crumpled on the ground, clutching his abdomen with his face twisted into an obvious expression of pain. Elora was nowhere to be seen.

"Kuro!" He raced over and summoned his staff as he knelt down next to his twin. "Are you okay?" Kuro only groaned in reply, but slowly uncurled himself with a huff.

"Ow. Man, she really does pack a punch when she wants to… now I know how you felt when Magnus smashed you in the face."

"Where did she go?" Pit demanded.

"I think she jumped," he answered as he got to his feet. "Why, I don't know." Pit nodded and dismissed his armor, then leapt from the side of the islet with Kuro following a moment later.


	10. Chapter X: Shattered

Pit was quite surprised when he and Kuro finally caught up to Elora, though she was still a far distance ahead of them. She used her wings to the best of her ability to slow her descent, though she still landed with a thud and it took her several moments to get herself back up. The god of Light scanned the area around her, confused.

"Isn't that where Magnus lives?" Kuro wondered, referring to the small town she'd landed by. "What's she doing?"

"I don't know," Pit replied as he slowed down to observe. "Maybe she figures her family will protect her." And yet, she wasn't moving toward the town, but rather to one of the fields surrounding it. "What IS she doing?" From what he saw, there was a human in the field, tending to what looked like a small garden, and Elora was approaching him fast. As Pit and Kuro drew closer, the former's eyes widened and he felt his heart sink.

"What is it?" Kuro asked, and Pit swallowed his rising fear as he fought with himself to chase away his thoughts. She wouldn't go that far, would she?

"ELORA!" he shouted at the top of his lungs, and she faltered for a second before she picked up her pace. The man in the garden looked up at her curiously, and she prepared her weapon. "Elora, no! NO!" She ignored him and fired- one charged shot that hit the man cleanly. And as if it weren't enough, she rushed forward, evading an arrow courtesy of Kuro, and stabbed her fallen target.

And Pit's world shattered as his mind blanked. Nothing made sense, nothing mattered except that he get down there. He dove down, folding in his wings and speeding toward them like a bullet, and he flared them out just before he hit the ground.

"Elora!" Kuro yelled, rage evident in his voice as he joined them and chased her away. But it was like a far off cry as Pit hurried over to the fallen man to confirm his fears. This man had dark gray hair, and his blue eyes were fading as he clung to his life. Pit swallowed as he knelt down next to him and propped him up in his arms, and he felt his tears spill over as he realized there was nothing he could do.

Ephram turned his head and met the young god's gaze. And, despite everything, he smiled weakly.

"Pit…" he breathed and raised his hand weakly, and Pit took hold of it.

"Dad," he choked as he said the word for the first time. "I-I'm so sorry… please, forgive me." But there was nothing. Ephram was gone, and his blood stained Pit's clothes, turning white into red. He shook with disbelief and grief, the water on his cheeks dripping down onto Ephram's still chest, until he looked up at the sound of Elora's shriek. He lowered the man's body to the ground gently and got to his feet.

"Do you realize what you've done?!" Kuro was yelling, his face flushed with anger. "Do you understand?" Pit approached them and motioned for Kuro to back off, and he fell silent and complied. The young god let out his breath slowly and approached his angel. She was on her knees, bracing her arms against the ground, and looked up at him with wide, terrified eyes. There was so much he wanted to do- chew her out for everything she'd done, strike her down right then and there to avenge his father, turn away and let Kuro handle her. But he was the god of Light and her ruler, and he had to act accordingly.

"Why?" he asked, his voice soft and weighed down with his torrent of emotions inside him. She didn't answer, but he wasn't going to ask again. He waited for some untold time until she finally spoke.

"Y-you defeated Lady Medusa," she said in a small voice. "You and Nemo killed her. She wanted me to take revenge if she fell, so I did."

"You really did take her side by choice," he realized. Medusa was gone, and not a trace of her remained. If she had been controlling Elora before, that influence should have been broken. "Elora, right before this all started… you mentioned following the angels' code of conduct." And when she nodded, it was like something in him snapped. "How could you even speak of it?!" he demanded, and she winced at the tone of his voice. "You betrayed me without any cause or reason, nearly led to my own downfall, turned against your commander, and now…" he grit his teeth, breathing heavily as he attempted to control his temper. "Maybe I could have forgiven all that. Maybe you still would have had a chance." Guilt made itself apparent in her eyes, and he broke his gaze away from hers to look at her wings.

Finally, everything made sense.

"But you didn't stop there," he continued. "You took an innocent human's life when you're supposed to be protecting them. I can't forgive that." He paused. "If you don't believe me, take a look at your wings." She winced again and looked over her shoulder. Her wings were ragged and losing feathers, and what they did hold on to were turning black as midnight without a moon. "There's nothing else I can do, Elora. I have to act accordingly." He summoned his bow, and her eyes widened.

"Lord Pit, please!" she pleaded. "I'm sorry! I don't… I understand now! I made a mistake…"

"You should have realized that before," he scolded. "I don't want to do this, Elora. But you've left me with no choice." Again, he fell silent for a moment. "I have to act in accordance to punish you for what you've done. And… I am a son avenging the wrongful death of his father." She lowered her head and said nothing else.

"Pit," Kuro spoke up as he approached from behind. "Do… I can handle this, if you want me to." Pit shook his head.

"No. I have to." He stepped forward. "Elora, is there anything else you want to say?" She remained silent and refused to look up at him. "Very well." With a heavy heart, he raised the blade of the bow and, with a deep breath, slashed it down quickly and cleanly. She squeaked briefly before falling completely silent, and he shut his eyes and turned away. Kuro placed his hand on his shoulder and bowed his head.

"I'm sorry." Pit looked up and saw Nemo standing there, the remains of his flame-like form still flickering around him. Pit only nodded and sighed heavily, then summoned his staff and thrust its handle into the ground. A light briefly enveloped him and, when it died down, revealed his missing wings, his simple garb to blend in among the humans.

"Where are you going?" Kuro wondered as he headed toward the town. He stopped, his gaze blank.

"Someone needs to tell them… tell Mom." He swallowed. "C…Can you handle Elora?"

"I'll take care of it," Nemo volunteered. "Don't worry."

"Thank you." He hurried into the town and down its main street until he came across a meeting place for the local militia.

"Hey!" An arm appeared and he ran into it, finding it belonged to a rugged, middle-aged man. "Slow down, son! What is it?" As he studied the seemingly young man, he frowned. "What's wrong, my boy?"

"O-Outside of town…" his voice was strangled by grief and disbelief. "There's a man… he- I think he was ambushed or something. He's dead." He could barely force the word out. The man's expression quickly turned grave, and he nodded.

"Don't worry, son. We'll take care of it." He hurried inside briefly and returned with a few other men. To Pit's surprise and ill feeling, Magnus was among them. His eyes silently pleaded with the swordsman to remain quiet, not to betray any recognition of the supposed youth in front of them. To some small relief, Magnus complied.

"Where exactly is this man?" Another wondered.

"Out in the field to the east of town," he replied. "Near a small garden."

"Alright. Take it easy, son. Maybe you should head home for a while and rest." He turned to his companions. "Come on, boys!" For the most part, they hurried off, but Magnus remained for a moment. Pit refused to meet his golden gaze.

"Was it Ephram?" he asked rather bluntly, and Pit only nodded. "What happened?"

"…Underworld ambush," he replied, not quite lying. "I took it out, but not in time to save him…"

"Magnus!" One of the others called back. "You coming?"

"Yeah," he yelled. "Go ahead. I'll catch up!" He turned back to Pit. "Sorry to hear that. You okay?" Pit was done with the lying, and he shook his head. "Hm. Well, keep yourself safe. We'll deal with this."

"Thanks," he mumbled. With that, Magnus hurried off to catch up to his companions, leaving Pit alone.

"Kuro," he said softly, opening up his mind to seek out his brother.

"_Yeah?"_ came the red-eyed angel's reply, and Pit sighed heavily.

"A few humans are coming out to take care of Ephram… you'd better get out of there if you don't want to be seen." Silence reigned for several moments save the dull roar of the town around him.

"_Alright. And what about you?"_

"I've got something else I need to take care of," he said softly. "But I'll be home shortly."

"_You sure you don't want me to stick around? Do you need my help?" _Despite everything, this brought a weak smile to Pit's face.

"No, I'm sure. But thanks, Kuro. I don't know what I'd do without you."

"_Eh. I do the best I can. I'll see you soon." _With that, Pit trudged through the town to the residential edge, his steps slow and his mind weighed down with thought.

He couldn't ever forget Kuro's origin: that shadowy-winged angel crafted from the Mirror of Truth that had, for a time, been known as Dark Pit. They'd practically hated each other at their first meeting. But, even before he'd been given his white wings and new name, he had become Pit's closest ally and support, and he'd done the same for his counterpart. Kuro may not have been meant to exist according to several sources, but Pit didn't know what he'd do without him.

His own dark counterpart had become a force fighting for what he deemed was right, to support him, to defend Skyworld, to protect the humans and the Celestial Balance. So how could it possibly be that a true and complete angel could turn against everything she had been crafted to do?

"Even angels aren't perfect…" he said inaudibly. He'd made his share of mistakes, even contributing to Palutena's destruction. Even if it was an accident and he'd been trying to save her, he couldn't ignore that he had arguably been the one that killed her. And the thought of it didn't help console his grief as his tears briefly spilled over again. He took a deep breath in an attempt to regain his composure.

He didn't know much about his predecessors, but he did know that they both fell while fighting to defend Skyworld and the Celestial Balance: Mishael in battle with the Underworld and Leale when Medusa had been banished. Even he had been fighting to restore the world and save Palutena, and she'd named her his successor. His last action as an angel was agreeing to uphold his goddess's final wish. But Elora was another case entirely, the only one to willingly contribute to Skyworld's destruction and fight a benevolent god in favor of one who thirsted for revenge and chaos.

He felt like a complete failure, that he hadn't seen how desperate she had been to continue her training and develop her skills. He and Kuro had both agreed that she hadn't been ready, but were they too strict? He had a feeling he would never truly know the answer.

And, regardless, he'd come to a certain small home near the edge of the town. After hesitating long enough to gather his thoughts and feelings as best he could, he raised his hand and knocked gently.


	11. Chapter XI: Mourning

An elderly woman opened the door curiously, and it swung open as her green eyes stared at him in shock. Her graying brown hair was cut short around her shoulders, having grown a bit since the last time he'd seen her, and around her neck was a leather cord bearing a feather he recognized all too well. It seemed she had stopped breathing for a moment.

"P-Pit?" she stammered, and as soon as he nodded, she pulled him into a tight embrace with her face buried in his shoulder. "Pit…" her voice was muffled. "Wh-what are you doing here?" She pulled back a bit to gaze at his face. "Did something happen?" His voice caught in his throat and he bit his lip as he nodded again. Concern became evident in her features as she motioned for him to come inside. "Don't worry," she told him. "We'll do what we can to help. Ephram should be back soon." And with that, his heart broke and he felt his eyes sting with hot water.

"Mom…" his voice was strained to escape the lump in his throat. "D-Dad isn't coming back." He wasn't sure what had shocked her more- what he'd said or what he'd called her.

"Wh…" He followed her to the table in the great room, and his eyes couldn't help but stray to the table where the painting of them in what seemed like another lifetime stood. He sat down next to her and took her hand.

"Ephram… Dad is…" he swallowed. "He was ambushed and… he's dead," his voice squeaked, and at any other time, he would have been embarrassed about it. But he had other things to focus on as realization and grief quickly swept over Helen's face. "I'm sorry…" he mumbled, and held her close as she sobbed and trembled against his shoulder.

"He… no…" she said softly. "No, he can't be gone! That… he just can't…" He held her tighter. "What will I do without him…?"

"I wish I could stay and take care of you," he said. "But…" he pulled her back and looked into her eyes. "Don't ever doubt that I'm watching over you, alright?" She nodded slowly as tears streamed down her face. He shut his eyes for a moment and summoned his staff, then used it to return to his true state of being with clothes cleaned of dirt and blood. "I'm sorry I couldn't reach him in time."

"Pit…" she stood up and took hold of his hands. "No matter what, I… I could never blame you for anything. I know you're doing the best you can."

"I… It wasn't just anyone that got to him," he continued. "Dad's attacker wasn't human. I guess they were unhappy with me and wanted to…" he swallowed. "If it helps at all, I've taken care of the one that… that stole him from you." She looked down, still shaking, but she nodded slowly

"Ephram was fighting the Underworld even when you were still with us," she thought aloud, and even smiled a bit. "All to protect you and me. Even if…" she sighed softly. "I suppose part of me always knew that he wouldn't pass peacefully. But that was his choice." He nodded.

"He smiled," he told her. "Before he… before he died, he smiled at me." Thinking about it sent another wave of grief over him. "I wish I had gotten the chance to tell him, but… I won't make the same mistake now. I want you to know." She looked up at him curiously. "I… remember when I told you that I had no recollection of my life here?" She nodded. "That's… no longer true." Her eyes widened, and she sat down again, as if the weight of everything that had suddenly come to her knowledge left her unable to support herself. He sat as well, resting his wings over the back of the chair.

"What do you mean?" she asked in a soft voice.

"There's a goddess out there that records memories," he began. "Named Mneme. A short time after I returned to Skyworld last time, she called me to her home and… I suppose you could say she returned what I had lost when I turned from human to angel." He smiled a little. "I remember watching Dad train with his friends and wanting to join them, and he always had to shoo me away since I was so small. And I remember picking flowers in the fields to give you, just because they made you happy." Though her tears didn't cease their flow, she smiled gently. "I remember playing with you and Dad, when he'd chase me around and I ran to you, thinking you'd help me get back at him."

"You were such a wonderful child," she said as she wiped away the water on her face. "It broke my heart when we lost you. But… maybe a part of me always knew you weren't really gone. And now, here you are." He smiled a little and nodded. "You do so much, have to be so strong… I know Ephram is- was- so proud of you."

"He's not gone forever," he assured her. "I promise. He may not be here right now, but he'll always be out there somewhere."

"Alright…" she let her breath go slowly. "Then I'll have to be strong until I can meet him again someday." He nodded. "I'll hold on, Pit. Don't worry about me."

"I can't help but worry," he replied lightly. "But… I need to get home and take care of a few things."

"I know. Be safe, will you?"

"I will." He knelt down and hugged her again. "Everything will be okay. I'll do everything I can to make it so."

"I know you will." She stood up slowly. "And say hello to Kuro for me, will you?" He smiled and nodded, and she walked to the front door with him.

"I love you, Mom," he told her as he stepped outside.

"And I'll always love you, my son." She placed her hand against his cheek for a moment, and once she withdrew it, he spread his wings and took off for the heavens.

A short time later, with his staff at the ready, he flew over his home and waved it forward as a light spread across the islets. Slowly but surely, the fallen Centurions began to rise, and he couldn't help but smile a bit as a shout of his name rang out.

"Everything okay?" a voice caught his attention, and he looked behind him to find Kuro flying nearby. "I mean, with all things considered."  
"As much as they can be," he agreed. "Mom- er… Helen, says 'hi.' Where's Nemo?"

"He went back to the Underworld," Kuro replied. "Says he wishes you the best and to let him know if he can do anything to help. But he seemed distracted."

"I'm sure he has a lot on his mind too," Pit pointed out, and his somewhat decent mood fell once again. "What did you do with Elora?"

"Of all people, Nemo called Onore to come help us," Kuro explained. "He cremated her body and set the ashes off on the wind. Neither of them were exactly happy about the situation, and Onore said he's sorry it happened."

"I am too," Pit sighed. "Look… I need a little time alone. Can you keep an eye on things?"

"Of course," Kuro nodded. "Take your time." They went their separate ways and Pit headed for the temple, landing outside before he continued down the main hall on foot to the Gate Chamber.

To his surprise, it was occupied when he entered.

"Lord Pit," an echoing voice greeted him, and he found what appeared to be a woman with long, shimmering blond hair, softly glowing blue eyes, and wings in place of arms waiting for him. He bowed for a brief moment. "I must apologize on behalf of myself and the other Keepers for what you've experienced." Even she seemed saddened by what had taken place. "Even we do not foresee everything that happens. We never intended for Elora to choose the path she did, and you performed admirably in handling what you had been presented with. I apologize for the loss of your father."

"Thanks," he mumbled, not really knowing what to say.

"Now… As you may have guessed, I've come to inform you of the identity of your new angel." He nodded, though his eyes widened as she briefly faded from sight and reappeared above at the fountain. "If you would join me…" He jumped and flew up to the other side of the fountain, and she waved her wing over the waters. "Your new angel, following the cycle, will be male. Also, we have decided on a name I hope you'll find fitting, in order to honor your father. And so, the next angel will be namd Ephraim."

"…Ephraim," he repeated in a nearly silent voice. The Keeper nodded, and the image of the new angel's parents appeared within the fountain's waters.

"Yes. As you already know, he will come to you shortly after his fifth birthday as a human." She shut her eyes. "I can promise you that he will have a strong sense of justice and desire to serve." She withdrew her wing, and the image faded.

"I understand, milady." He dipped his head. "Thank you."

"I wish you luck, Lord Pit. Farewell." With those words, she faded from his sight and he gazed blankly into the water below.

"Ephraim," he said again, pondering the name for a moment longer before he turned and headed out of the temple. There was much that needed to be done to restore Skyworld to its former beauty, and he wanted to help in any and every way he could.


	12. Chapter XII: Off Balance

This had become an increasingly common sight in the Underworld. Within the shrine in the City of Souls, Nemo sat on his throne, hunched over with his head in his hands. There were days in which he would remain there for hours, barely moving, simply going over everything in his head as he wrestled with himself. The inner turmoil he felt when Pit had defeated him had only intensified as time went on, and Medusa's resurrection and defeat only served to aggravate it further. Something was wrong with him, and he knew it, but he couldn't be sure what it was.

So, when he suddenly felt a light-filled presence approaching him, he looked up weakly to find Levica standing a short distance away. How pitiful for her to see him in this state. They simply stared at each other for several drawn out moments.

"Hi, Nemo," she finally greeted, and he sighed as he rested his back against the throne.

"Hello, Levica," he replied. "What brings you here? Does Pit need you to check up on me?" His tone was much more sour than he'd intended, but he was in no mood to have the god of Light breathing down his neck for whatever reason. To add to his worries, Levica looked hurt at the remark.

"No, of course not!" she insisted. "I've just… sensed that something's wrong, and I came to find out what it is."

"I'm fine." It was obvious that she didn't believe him for a heartbeat.

"Nemo, please," she continued and drew closer to him. "I want to help you. But you have to let me." He heaved himself to his feet in an attempt to show her that he was indeed fine, but the raging storm inside him didn't cease.

"I really am okay," he said, but her bright green eyes didn't waver. "Why won't you believe me?"

"Because I know you're lying to me!" She stepped forward again, closing the distance between them, and looked into his eyes. "You're not okay." She paused. "Nemo, you're my companion, my ally, my other half… You can trust me. What's wrong?" He hesitated, but she wouldn't let him break their gaze. And, with that, he couldn't keep up his act. He arched forward, resting his forehead on her shoulder, and she grunted softly in surprise.

"I don't know what to do," he mumbled, his voice wavering. "I… I feel like I'm fighting myself. Like something's wrong with me, but I don't know what it is or how to fix it." He felt her arms rest over his back gently, and he gripped the fabric of the back of her dress tightly as his body shook.

"We'll figure it out," she said softly. "I'll help you. I promise." He didn't reply, only held her tight as something in him feared what would happen if he let her go. Why he felt that way, he didn't know. He hesitantly pulled back and again looked into her eyes before turning his gaze to the floor below.

"Th-thank you…" he said, and she nodded as he sat back down with his arms braced against his legs.

"Nemo…" she began. "I think I may have an idea." He looked up at her curiously.

"What's that?"  
"From what I understand… ever since your battle with Lord Pit, you've been fighting with yourself as an Oracle. You keep saying how it's made you weak."

"It has," he insisted. "It's because I'm an Oracle that I couldn't win against him, that I couldn't keep Medusa contained. Ever since I took that form, I've been dealing with her trying to control me, force me to do her bidding, and I haven't been able to oppose her on my own." He looked down again. "I feel like there's nothing I can truly do."

"Goodness, Nemo." Again, he looked back up at her. "You're not looking at the greater side of things. Stop focusing on your weaknesses! Don't you realize how strong you are?"

"Uh…" he didn't have an answer.

"Not just anyone could have destroyed Hades!" she reminded him, leaning forward a bit. "You're smart, cunning, and patient. Despite everything you've endured with Medusa, you're forgiving and still have a sense of humor. Even though you two were bitter enemies before, you've managed to become one of Lord Pit's closest allies. And, even after everything you just told me, you were the one who defeated Medusa." He stared at her, stunned into silence, and her face lit up. "I think I know what your problem is."

"What do you mean?" he wondered.

"You're focusing too much on pushing away what you really are," she explained. "Nemo, you're an Oracle like me before anything else. You were never meant to become the lord of the Underworld, but you did. And you've been trying to be that while pushing away who and what you really are. You look at being an Oracle as a weakness instead of it being one of your greatest strengths." He blinked.

"I'm not sure I follow you," he admitted, and he leaned back in alarm as she braced her hands against the armrests of his throne with her face inches from his.

"You said you felt like you were fighting yourself," she continued. "You are. You're trying to ignore your side of being an Oracle. You're trying to be the lord of the Underworld above all else. But…" she sighed. "You need to be both, Nemo. You brought this on yourself, and now you need to find a way to balance out what you've become." She withdrew herself, smiled a bit, and even chuckled softly.

"What's so funny?" he demanded, feeling his face flush with warmth. And, given his pale skin, embarrassment flooded over him regarding how obvious it must have been.

"That's it!" Her smile grew as she looked at him. "You're meant to uphold and defend the Celestial Balance. Maybe this sounds a bit clichéd, but how can you protect it if you're unbalanced yourself?" He opened his mouth to reply, but shut it as he processed her words and realized how correct she was.

"Maybe that really is it," he agreed in a soft voice. "I think you're right." He stood up and smiled, even if only slightly. "Thank you, Levica." His smile faded. "But… well, how do you propose I put myself back into balance?"

"Well, I am your opposite and equal force," she pointed out. "I'll help you however I can. But I think it's going to be up to you to really fix the mess you've put yourself in." He nodded, but his gaze found its way up to the broken window above.

"Do you think Lord Pit will be so willing to let you help me?"

"Lord Pit has said himself that he won't force me to do anything," she replied. "He's basically given me the freedom to do what I wish, says he feels weird about keeping me tied back. And I'm sure that even if he did, he would allow me to help keep you in check." She turned serious rather quickly. "And… I don't want to know what would happen if you continue on like this." He nodded.

"I can't say I'll change immediately," he warned her. "But I'll do the best I can." Her smile returned.

"I'm not expecting this to be easy." With that, she stepped back and lifted her hand, a ball of light appearing above her outstretched palm. "We'll start small, I suppose. See if you can't overtake this. But no using all your odd powers as lord of the Underworld!" He watched her for several moments before nodding.

"Very well." He brought his hand up gently and focused his power on the light.

"You're so tense," she observed. "Try to relax!" He obeyed and took a deep breath, letting it out slowly and again directed his attention to the little ball of light. A slight dark aura appeared around his hand and flowed gently to the light, wrapping around it in an attempt to envelop it, but Levica strengthened it until it broke back through. Nemo's intent on it grew and he did the same, but the two elements continued to fight with each other, neither quite overtaking the other.

"This isn't working," she noticed. "Two equal and opposite elements, just as they should be. One cannot snuff out the other." She looked from them to him, and he smiled gently.

"Alright, alright, I see," he agreed. "They're like me, right? Nothing will happen if I keep letting the two sides that make up who I am keep fighting with each other."

"Then you get part of it." She smiled and returned her attention the fighting elements in her palm. "But look." He did as instructed and watched as she focused on them and the light and darkness ceased their fight, opting to simply swirl around each other as if they were dancing, two parts making one whole. Despite himself, Nemo smiled.

"They're two parts of a whole," he agreed. "Like fire and water, life and death…"

"Lord Pit and Commander Kuro," Levica laughed, and his smile grew briefly.

"And like me," he admitted. "I need to find a way to have my two sides work together."

"You've done it before," she pointed out. "When you helped Lord Pit in his battle to recover his body, even when you were down in that human town to talk to… what was his name? Yoshua?" Nemo nodded. "You're capable of it. I know you are." He looked back to the two elements as they created one entity, and his smile faded. "Nemo? What is it?" He didn't immediately respond as he continued observing them. Somewhere in the back of his mind, he heard what sounded like a child's laughter, and it greatly confused him. "Nemo!"

"Huh?" He shook his head and looked back up at her. "What?"

"You seemed lost in thought," she replied. "Is everything okay?"

"Yeah," he nodded briskly. "I'm sorry." She watched him quizzically for several moments as she let the elements disperse. "You know…" he smiled as he sighed softly. "I feel… I don't feel perfect, but I feel a little better. I know I've got a long way to go, but you've put me on the right path." She smiled. "Thank you."

"Of course." She dipped her head.

"Um…" his smile faded a bit and he lowered his head. "Levica, can I… will you allow me to show you something? As thanks."

"All right." They both took on their flame-like spirit forms, himself of blacks and purples and her of whites and yellows, and he led her through the Underworld to his destination, where they resumed their other forms.

"Nemo!" she gasped as she strode forward, glancing around the spring and its pools. "How did… I didn't know anything this beautiful could exist down here." He smiled. Sure enough, the darkness around them and the jagged rocks on the edge of his vision weren't exactly warm and welcoming, but the spring itself was among flat surfaces and gentle slopes that even bore a bit of grass. Its waters weren't enchanted or imbued with special properties, but were simply water.

"I wanted a place where I could come and relax," he told her. "And… maybe it'll help if I can get myself in order first. But," he walked over to the cliff the spring rested near, overlooking the Underworld most people thought of- a dark and foreboding place. "One day, I want the Underworld to be a respectable place, not this doom-and-gloom land of the dead. I mean… I guess it'll always be a land of the dead. But I don't want it to look like one. Maybe that's why people are so afraid to die." He sighed, folding his hands behind his back. "I know it'll never be like Skyworld or anything like that, but anything would be better than the way it is now. This is just the start." He smiled and turned back to her. "I like to think I'm a far cry from Hades. I may be the lord of the Underworld, but that doesn't mean I have to be feared like a dark tyrant."

"Indeed," she came over to stand next to him. "You have a lot of stigmas to wash off, don't you? The Oracle of Darkness and the lord of the Underworld, a physical manifestation of two things that humans and other creatures tend to fear."

"I know." His expression fell. "I admit there are times I believed that's all I was capable of, no matter how much I wanted to be something else. Medusa didn't help that, nor did taking over for Hades. But I think I can be more. If Pit trusts me and considers me an ally, then I can probably convince the rest of the world someday."

"Lord Pit is arguably even more of your opposite than I am," Levica noted. "The ruler of Skyworld, the god of Light, and defender of life. But you two work together to govern the Celestial Balance." She leaned her head against his shoulder, taking him aback a bit. "I think that, as long as that's your intention, then you'll be able to realize your vision. You'll change the way the world views you, and maybe we'll all finally be able to move forward and progress."

"Yes, but we'll have to get Viridi on our side too," he chuckled. "THEN we can stop worrying about war for a while." She laughed and shook her head.

"I suppose. But she's been relatively quiet lately, other than your meeting, hasn't she?"

"Yes, she has. I'll just have to hope she stays that way."

"Hm." She turned back toward the spring and slipped her feet into the water. "I suppose there's no sense in worrying about it for now. And, above all, I think you need to relax." His gaze followed her, and he smiled.

"Gladly."


	13. Chapter XIII: Truth

Nemo spent the next several years in the Underworld, barely making contact with Pit, Viridi, or anyone else outside the realm he ruled over. He focused, trained, and all but redefined who and what he was. It had been a physical and emotional roller coaster, and he'd wanted to give up several times throughout the journey. But Levica was persistent, remaining with him for those several years and acting as his support. He didn't know what he would do without her, and he feared the day when she decided her duty was done and it was time for her to return to Skyworld. Now, he was finally replacing the window that Pit had shattered before their duel.

"Why are you keeping the reminder around?" she'd asked him, and he couldn't answer. So, once it was sealed and cleaned, he returned to the floor and smiled at her.

"Thanks for helping me," he dipped his head, and she returned the smile.

"It was my pleasure, Nemo. And you really do look good now." He felt his face warm a bit. He now garbed himself in a clean, dark royal blue, long-sleeved robe with a red trim that came down to his knees, open on the right side below a dark purple sash. He wore dark gray, nearly black pants underneath and brown boots along with a blue scarf, clean compared to the tattered one he wore before. And, perhaps the most important of all, he had a strap running over his shoulder bearing the insignia of darkness, accepting and signifying his role as its Oracle.

"Thank you," he replied. "I feel so much better. Like I can actually handle this now. I can do what I set my mind to, protect the Balance and rework the Underworld as I see fit." His smile faded a bit.

"What is it?" she wondered, and he looked away.

"I just… It'll be lonely around here without you. I've enjoyed your company." When he turned back to her, he was surprised to see she was looking at the floor beneath them. "Levica? What's wrong?" She hesitated for some time before replying.

"We're spirits," she said, confusing him further.

"I suppose so," he agreed. "But why do you say that?"

"I mean… that's what we originally were. We had competent thought, and some extent of emotion, I guess… But…" He leaned his head to the side, not quite understanding what she was saying. "These human forms we've taken were a precautionary measure." She fell silent.

"Levica," he urged, "What is it? What's bothering you?"  
"I…" she tensed, obviously uncomfortable, and he wanted nothing more than to help relieve her stress. "Nemo, what do you think we're capable of?"

"What do you mean?"

"I mean… Our emotions," she said, though it still made no sense to him. "Are they real, or just a part of our façade?" He blinked.

"I think my emotions are real," he replied. "I've felt genuine hatred and grief, but I've been happy too. I am now, thanks to you." He expected her to look up and smile, but she didn't. "Levica, come on, now," he insisted. "Let me help you. What's bothering you?"

"I just… want to know something."

"What is it?" Again, she hesitated. Finally, she stepped closer to him and raised her head, and the next thing he knew, she had touched her lips to his and he found himself staring at her as he felt his face flush and his mind blanked. And yet, he found that something in him greatly enjoyed it. She pulled back after a moment and looked up into his eyes shyly.

"I'm sorry…" she mumbled as he blinked.

"Why?" he asked softly.

"Th-that's what I wanted to know… I wanted to know if what I was feeling was real, not just a lie." She blushed and looked back down again. "I-I think I love you, Nemo." Again, he blinked, stunned into silence.

"You… you love me?" he repeated, and she nodded. "I…" And it was his time to surprise her. He pulled her closer to him and kissed her again, shutting his eyes as he felt her arms wrap around his back. He broke it after a moment and smiled, keeping her close against him. "I think I love you as well, Levica."

"So, you believe that we're capable of feeling emotions like that?" she wondered, and he nodded.

"Even if not originally, I think we've developed them over time," he agreed. "And I'm glad we did. I've never felt happiness like I do right now." Again, her face flushed red. "Thank you, Levica."

"It's my pleasure." And she smiled sheepishly. "I… suppose I'll have to let Lord Pit know that I'll be staying down here."

"Oh?" She smiled and nodded.

"Well, yes. I'd like to, if you'll let me." He hugged her briefly and let her go.

"Personally, I'd greatly enjoy having you around," he agreed. "But then you'll have to answer to all my adoring subjects. I don't know if you'll want to deal with them." He cleared his throat. "Especially Thanatos." With that, she laughed.

"I'll get by," she assured him. "I'm an Oracle. They won't come after me without reason to do so." He frowned. "What?"

"I doubt Pandora would see much of a need to have a reason," he sighed, pacing a bit. "I feel like she's looking for any way or excuse to get me somehow. Most of the rest of the things living down here are either brainless or don't care. But you know that she's crafty."

"I know," she nodded. "But I'll be okay, Nemo. I promise. And I want to stay with you, no matter what they think." She walked a short distance and looked up to the recently repaired window, her expression somewhat serious.

"Alright," he nodded. "What else is on your mind?"

"I'm just…" her face flushed again. "Wondering what we're truly capable of. With our human forms." He approached her, again tipping his head to the side.

"What so you mean?" he asked, and she turned to him.

"Nothing," she smiled. "It's not important."

"Are you sure?" She nodded and kissed his cheek, making his skin warm gently. "Alright. Do you want to go back to the spring?"

"That would be lovely."


	14. Chapter XIV: Newcomer

About three years had elapsed since Levica had briefly returned to Skyworld in order to inform Pit that she would be staying with Nemo permanently. Their sudden love story had caught him off guard, but he wished them the best and bade her farewell. A year after that, he'd welcomed Ephraim as the new angel to Skyworld, and couldn't help but be taken aback by the young boy's black hair, his blue eyes, his confidence and eagerness to learn and train. He barely left Kuro alone when the commander was training with the Centurions, and Pit had made a point to be involved in his life. Ephraim more or less looked up to him like a father, though it seemed Kuro was more like an older brother to him. A sarcastic, strict, and somewhat irritable older brother.

But now, he found himself waking up in the middle of the night for the first time since Medusa's defeat. His dreams had actually been quiet for once, and he felt better after finally catching up on the sleep he'd missed out on due to her actions. So, why did he suddenly feel like someone had siphoned his energy from his body? He groaned and sat up, feeling like an overcooked noodle.

And yet, after only a few moments, it all returned to him, and the exhaustion it had brought evaporated as if it hadn't been there in the first place. Someone had opened the floodgates to refill the dried pond that he seemed to be. It made absolutely no sense: One moment, he was as weak as a piece of parched grass, and the next, he felt like he could move a mountain if he tried.

"Something's wrong," he mumbled and got to his feet, dressing quickly before he headed out of his room, down the main corridor of the temple, and outside. A brisk chill in the air greeted him under a cloudless sky, the stars and moon shining above the nearly silent islets of Skyworld as a handful of Centurions went about their patrols. He took to the air and flew toward the structure Kuro called home, landing in front and proceeding down the main hall to a staircase on the right-hand side. Once he had reached the top, he knocked on the door he came to. Of course, there was no answer.

He sighed and entered the darkened room with his only light being the moon above streaming in the skylight. On one side, Kuro was sprawled across his bed, lying on his front side and wearing only his shorts with the rest of his clothes messily piled on a table nearby. It was obvious he was deeply asleep, his breathing soft as his wings twitched gently. Pit rolled his eyes and smiled, shaking his head as he turned toward the other occupant of the room.

They'd decided that Ephraim should share a room with Kuro for the time being. Despite being an angel, he was still a child, and they didn't want to leave him alone. Ephraim had been ecstatic about the idea, and even Kuro had warmed up to it eventually. Ephraim now was curled up on his own bed, more or less on his side with his eyes closed peacefully. Neither of them stirred at Pit's entry, and his chance was simply too perfect. He crept over to the side of Kuro's bed, smirking to contain his snickering.

"Hey, Kuro!" he yelled, and Kuro's eyes flew open. Within about half a second, he was up, standing on his bed in a defensive stance as he tried to control his heavy breathing. Pit couldn't contain his laughter as his twin's expression changed from shock to confusion and finally to anger as he registered it was the god of Light that had disturbed him. It seemed Ephraim found it amusing as well, and he was laughing as he sat up on his bed.

"What is WRONG with you?!" Kuro demanded as he jumped off his bed. "In the off chance that you weren't aware of this, I was SLEEPING." Somehow, these relapses that Kuro had when he was tired only amused Pit further. Never would one find him in a more sarcastic mood reminiscent of his time before he became Palutena's new captain. And that was only further evidenced as he mumbled "Pit-stain" under his breath.

"The opportunity was just too perfect," Pit replied, grinning, and Kuro glared at him.

"What do you want?" he inquired. "You love sleep way too much to give it up just to irritate me."

"Alright, alright, calm down," Pit patted his twin's head, only further aggravating him. "But, in all seriousness, are you feeling okay?"

"I was feeling FINE before a certain brown-haired moron decided to wake me up. So, explain to me why I shouldn't kick your butt into next week."

"That's not very nice," Ephraim said from his spot, and both of his superiors turned to look at him briefly. "Lord Pit was just playing, right?"

"Right," Pit nodded. "Exactly. But anyway, I woke up and felt like something was off… one moment, I felt really weak, and the next I was fine. I guess I wanted to know if you had experienced anything similar." The disapproving irritation was still evident in Kuro's eyes, but he relaxed a bit.

"No, I can't say I did," he said. "Not that I noticed, anyway."

"Hrm." Pit crossed his arms and lowered his head in thought. "Then what was it? It wasn't natural…"

"Maybe Nemo is acting up," Kuro suggested with a heavy sigh. "I mean, he's the lord of the Underworld and the embodiment of your opposing force. Who knows what he's up to?"

"Lord Pit?" Pit looked down at a tug on his robe and smiled at Ephraim. "Can I help?"

"Sorry, Ephy," he said as he knelt down to meet Ephraim in the eye. "I think I'll head out on my own this time. Besides, you need your sleep."

"So do I," Kuro grumbled, earning an amused smile from his twin.

"Well," he stood back up, "I think I'll head down and pay him a visit. It's been a while since I last talked with him, and even longer since we spoke face to face."

"Be careful!" Ephraim cautioned as he turned back for the door, then hurried outside and back to the temple's Gate Chamber. He pointed his staff at the Gate itself and it opened slowly, and he leapt out into the air, arriving at the outskirts of the City of Souls. He invoked his own Power of Flight and sped around the glowing blue columns, dodging around the few souls that flitted about around him. Nothing came to attack him, no Underworld monsters of any sort.

Before long, he arrived at the shrine toward the center of the city and landed on the platform in front of the door, then headed inside with his staff at the ready. Nemo had taken to lighting the halls of the shrine with what, at first glance, appeared to be torches. But their flames were very light, pale blues that flickered white as they burned. He sighed and ignored the twinge of panic that shot through him, opening up his senses to seek out Nemo and Levica, provided she was still there.

"Ah ha!" he picked up his pace once he pinpointed them and hurried through the halls until he came to a closed door leading to a room he'd never actually been to. Strangely enough, he thought he heard what sounded like a cry from behind the door. He backed himself up against the opposite wall and sprinted forward, launching himself foot first toward the door, and busted it open without any warning whatsoever. Sure enough, Nemo glanced up at him in alarm from his place next to a bedside, and it seemed Levica was lying there. The lord of the Underworld sighed heavily and approached him.

"Thanks so much for knocking, Pit," he said curtly. "And calling ahead of time. Whatever it is, this really isn't a good time."

"What, because you're planning a hostile takeover again?" Pit inquired, and panicked a bit when it seemed Nemo thought he was being serious.

"Excuse me?"

"L-Lord Pit?" Levica called, and she sounded incredibly weak, alarming him.

"That might explain it," he mumbled.

"Explain what?" Nemo asked, crossing his arms. "Exactly what is it that brought you down here without warning?"

"I was up in Skyworld, and I suddenly felt really weak, like someone had sucked my energy dry. But the next thing I knew, I was feeling fine." His eyes narrowed and he pointed his staff at Nemo. "It's got to have something to do with Levica. What have you done with her?! I should have known it. This is all just a plot to-"

"Calm down, Pit!" Nemo raised his hands up. "I didn't do anything. She's just tired." And, for reasons Pit didn't understand, Nemo then smiled. "And I don't blame her. She's been through a lot. Now, if you'll excuse us, I've got a lot to tend to right now. It's going to be busy for a while."

"No, Nemo," Levica protested. "Why don't you explain? Let Lord Pit meet him." Pit blinked.

"Meet who?" he demanded as he looked over to her, and he noticed she appeared to be holding something. She looked like death warmed over, her face pale and sweaty, but she was smiling.

"Fine," Nemo nodded. "I was hoping to introduce you later on when we'd gotten everything sorted out, but I suppose now is just as good." He motioned for Pit to follow him and returned to Levica's side, and Pit complied. He blinked, stunned into silence as he found the violet-red eyes of a newborn infant staring at him curiously. It was wrapped in a white blanket and was still a slight bit messy, and even Pit knew it couldn't have been more than an hour old.

"Remiel, meet Lord Pit," Levica cooed. "You'd best get acquainted now, so he doesn't do anything mean to your father." Again, Pit blinked.

"Wait, wait," he massaged his forehead and looked from Remiel to Levica to Nemo. "What's going on here?"

"This is our son," Nemo replied bluntly, though he smiled proudly. "Remiel. Do you trust me to be a decent father?"

"I didn't know you were capable of having children," Pit blubbered without really thinking about it, then realized what it was he had said. "I mean not you specifically! Just you as Oracles. I… er…" He scratched the back of his head.

"We didn't either," Nemo agreed. "And thank you for elaborating."

"Nemo." He turned back to Levica at her beckoning. "Would you like to ask him now? Or should we wait?" Nemo thought it over for several moments as Pit continued to stare at Remiel, who stared back.

"I suppose there's no point in waiting." He turned back to Pit. "Pit, if you don't mind, we have a request for you." Pit turned his attention to him and nodded. "With no pun intended here, would you be Remiel's- er… well, godfather?"

Again, Pit blinked.

"Me?" he wondered, and Nemo nodded.

"Yes, you. Beyond my not knowing who else to turn to, I know I can trust you to look after him if needed. I'd greatly appreciate it if you would accept." Pit lowered his head and closed his eyes in thought.

"I suppose I can do that," he agreed. "It'd be an honor." He opened his eyes and smiled. "Thank you."

"Thank YOU, Pit," Nemo smiled back and looked to his family. "That makes me feel a lot better."

"Um… if I may…" Nemo nodded, and Pit held his hand out, hovering over Remiel, and he narrowed his eyes. "I guess that would make sense. There's both light and darkness in him. That may explain why I felt so weak: Something else was suddenly drawing on the Light!" Nemo chuckled a bit. "But… no offense or anything, but exactly what IS he?" He withdrew his hand and turned back to Nemo.

"What do you mean?" Nemo wondered.

"I mean you're the lord of the Underworld, so I guess that would make him its prince. He's the son of a god, but also of two Oracles, who are in turn taking human-like forms without actually being human."

"Uh…" Nemo frowned and looked at Levica, who shook her head in bewilderment.

"Aw well." Pit shrugged. "I guess it's not important." He smiled. "Anyway, as Remiel's godfather, and as an apology for breaking in without warning, I'd like to give him a little something."

"Lord Pit," Levica smiled. "You don't have to."

"But I want to," he insisted. "Really, just something small. Nothing important." Levica nodded and looked up at Nemo.

"What do you think?" she asked.

"I don't see why not," he replied. "Go ahead, Pit." Pit grinned and lifted his hand, his fingers curled into a loose fist.

"Let's see if I can do this," he mumbled, and took a deep breath. A light flashed as he stretched his palm, and it solidified into a small, round pendant on a gold chain. On one side of the pendant, it bore the insignia of Light that he was so familiar with, and on the other, the insignia of Darkness. Carefully, he placed it over Remiel's head, and Remiel continued to stare at him. "Just a little symbol of what he embodies, I suppose."

"Thank you, Lord Pit," Levica dipped her head.

"Aye," Nemo agreed. "It's a wonderful little token." Remiel let out an enormous yawn and promptly fell asleep in Levica's arms, and Pit smiled.

"I suppose I should let the three of you get settled," he noticed. "And I should be getting home anyway before Kuro gets either mad or worried."

"I'll walk you out," Nemo volunteered. "Is that okay, Levica?" She nodded, and he leaned down to kiss her forehead briefly before the two gods departed.

"He really is a cute kid," Pit told him. "So you've got a family now, huh?"

"Indeed, I do," Nemo nodded. "And I'm very lucky to have them."

"Someone to love, a child to call your own," Pit mused. "That must be nice." He paused. "I mean, I know Kuro is like a brother to me, but… I guess I don't have much in the way of family anymore. I guess there's Ephraim, too, but…"

"How is he, anyway?" Nemo wondered.

"Fine," Pit replied. "Getting stronger every day. He's a good kid- no one could argue that. And… It's kind of strange, but he looks so much like my dad. I know the Keepers named him Ephraim in memoriam, but…" When he heard Nemo stifle a laugh, he turned to stare at him. "What's so funny?"

"It's more than that, Pit. Maybe they don't want me telling you this, but… well…" he shrugged, and his smile faded. "After that whole incident with Elora, I returned here to find Ephram's soul. I wanted to make sure it was taken care of. What do I find? One of the Keepers- one with long brown hair dressed in red robes with her bangs hiding part of her face. She demanded Ephram's soul from me and said it was to be immediately reincarnated." Pit blinked as he processed what he'd just heard.

"So… You think that they…"

"Ephraim is your dad, Pit. Or at least his reincarnation. I guess they felt the need to make up for the hell they've put you through since you became the god of Light. Obviously he doesn't remember his life previous to now, but… Well, anything is better than nothing, right?" Pit nodded.

"I suppose so. I'm glad he's safe… Thank you for telling me."

"Of course." By that time, they had reached the entrance of the shrine, and Pit spread his wings.

"Good luck, Nemo. I'll be sure to tell you about Kuro's reaction!" Nemo laughed and waved as he took to the air, bound for Skyworld.


	15. Chapter XV: Ancient Power

It was nearly impossible to see in this deep, almost forgotten part of the Underworld. It was frigid and all but lifeless within the rock caverns, the winding paths that, for the most part, led to dead ends. The air stirred gently as a blue-haired goddess entered the tunnels with a dangerous smile on her face. She half-skipped, half-floated through them, taking the path she recalled from an age gone by until she came to a cell, and she lit a blue fire in her hand. Its light danced on the metal bars, casting shadows on the lone prisoner.

His injured wrists were shackled, keeping him tethered to the floor, and his rather colorful hair fell into his face and appeared to be dripping into nothingness. He wasn't hugely built by any means, even appeared rather thin, though he still had some sort of hidden strength within him. He was filthy, his clothes tattered and worn, and he was hunched over with one leg sprawled across the floor and the other bent and resting at his side. Yet, despite his condition, he smirked.

"It's been quite some time since I had a visitor," he said, his voice surprisingly clear, smooth, even bewitching. He peaked up through his bangs, revealing his pale purple skin and his eyes- his right a deep, crimson red not unlike Kuro's and the other a golden color with slants of light brown aiming toward the diamond-like pupil. Even his visitor was taken aback for a moment before her smile returned. "Well, well. If it isn't Pandora," he greeted. "What brings you down here to Hell? It's no place for a beauty like yourself."

"I came to see you, Lord Mastema," she replied. "And, perhaps, strike a bit of a bargain." His eyebrows rose with interest.

"Is that right? Well, I've been stuck down here long enough to know not to refuse a good deal when one presents itself to me. What would you have of me, my dear goddess?" Her smile grew dangerously.

"I suppose I might as well go ahead and tell you about what's been happening since you were imprisoned," she began, and he nodded. "Hades, Medusa, and Palutena have all been destroyed." This news clearly caught his interest, and he straightened up.

"What do you mean 'destroyed?' Some of the most powerful gods that run world defeated? How?"

"That piece of garbage Pit and a traitor named Nemo," she growled. "Finished all three of them off in the span of about thirty-five years."

"Such a short time… Pit and Nemo, eh? Care to explain who they are?" he inquired.

"Of course." She crossed her arms and legs, floating gently in the air. "Nemo's the ultimate source, so I'll start with him. He's the Oracle of Darkness, or something like that."

"Oracle?"

"The physical, human-like form of the spirit of Darkness," she explained. "Five of the spirits took those forms shortly after your defeat to hide their power and ability. But Nemo went to Hades and feigned loyalty to him. Long story short, he attacked when Hades was weak and destroyed him- became the new lord of the Underworld in the process."

"What a little rat," Mastema mused. "And Skyworld's goddesses?"

"Medusa had been banished to the Underworld and she and Palutena had been warring for some time," Pandora went on. "But she was defeated several times by a scrap of angel named Pit."

"And tell me, Pandora, what is an angel?" She blinked.

"Ah, right," she recalled. "They weren't around when you were… All right. Angels, from what I understand, are human-based creatures that usually have some sort of exceptional combat ability and, in some cases, intelligence. They're made to serve Palutena to make up for the incompetence of the Centurions."

"Now that, I remember," Mastema agreed. "They weren't worth anything. So this Pit is an angel, hm?"

"He WAS one," she elaborated. "But Nemo decided it would be a good idea to nab Palutena and recreate her to fight. Between him and Pit, her soul was nearly destroyed, and apparently she chose her angel as her successor before she completely faded away."

"So Pit is the new god of Light," he surmised. "And Medusa?"

"Pit and Nemo ultimately destroyed her perhaps… almost two hundred years ago? Despite how they met, they've become best buddies now. It's sickening."

"I can't imagine what that's doing to the Underworld," he chuckled.

"I hate having to answer to Nemo," she scoffed. "All he does is oversee things and keep the peace. I'm sick of it." Despite her mood, she smiled once again. "And that, Lord Mastema, is why I've come to you." Again, his interest grew as his gaze zeroed in on her like a cat that's cornered a mouse.

"I'm listening."

"I'll free you from this," she gestured to the cell containing him, "And help you however you would have me do so. All I ask is that you remove Nemo from his throne and restore a little chaos to the world." He smirked dangerously.

"That's my specialty, my dear Pandora. I'd gladly do so."

"And while you're at it," she continued, "Pluck that blasted Pit out of the sky. I've had enough of him as well. And…" her eyes narrowed. "There's one other thing."

"Yes?"

"There's an 'angel' that serves up in Skyworld now- red eyes, black hair, same face as Pit. You'll know him when you see him. Calls himself Kuro and acts like Pit's brother."

"You seem like you have a score to settle with him," Mastema noticed. "Did he break your heart or something?"

"Far from it!" she snorted. "No, that little traitor was created to serve me, but he somehow decided he would do anything but. He came into being via the Mirror of Truth under the name 'Dark Pit.'"

"I see," Mastema nodded. "Go on?"

"Beyond helping Pit beat me, he stole my powers for a time, and even after I managed to free myself, he still managed to defeat me again…" Her fists clenched and her brow furrowed. "It's time he payed for everything he's done."

"Interesting," Mastema smiled darkly. "So, let me get this straight. You'll let me out of here, and in return, I take over both the Underworld and Skyworld and bring you a little traitor for you to play with. Is that it?"

"That's it," she confirmed.

"Well, I know a good deal when I see one. Very well, Pandora. I accept."

"Excellent."

"But I hope you know that this blasted cell was crafted by Dyntos himself," he reminded her. "I'm not getting out of here so easily. I've tried. Many times."

"Oh, I'm aware," she winked. "But Dyntos had given the task of maintaining it to Hades and, to some extent, Palutena. Since they're both gone, that seal should be weak. So…" She drew forth her sword and thrust it into the cell, and a barrier of sorts materialized before shattering. She momentarily took her fiery form and passed through the bars, then solidified again and cut through his shackles as best she could- one remained on his left wrist. Without hesitation, Mastema jumped to his feet and stretched.

"Oh, feel that energy!" He grinned and turned to her. "Thank you, my dear. I certainly do owe you for this, don't I?"

"You know what I've asked of you," she pointed out, and he nodded.

"Yes, yes. I'm a man of my word. However, will you be so kind as to let me make you an offer as well?"

"That depends on what it is, Lord Mastema." Though her words were harsh, she smiled.

"I'm sure it does." He grabbed her wrist and pulled her against him, much to her surprise. "I'm just thinking, I suppose. If I'm taking back my rule over the world, I'd love such a beautiful and ferocious warrior like yourself at my side."

"Hm," she shoved against him, to some extent, but his grip on her didn't loosen. "You'll have to crush those pests before you do anything," she reminded him lightly. "Are you so sure that you can do that?"

"Pandora," he shook his head in disbelief. "I have no doubts that I'll be able to. They'll be insects beneath my foot. And besides," his smile grew, "Even if they try to resist, they can't do a thing to me. You should know that."

"Oh, I know," she grinned. "But don't underestimate Pit. I've seen him pull through some of the worst odds possible."

"Very well," he nodded, releasing her. "Now, why don't you tell me everything I need to know about these doomed fools?" She nodded.

"With pleasure."

* * *

**Author's Note: **Okay, so I know I never post afterthoughts or anything, but I just want to be clear on a point: There's no real love or anything between Pandora and Mastema. It's more playful than anything. Flirting, establishing who's the boss, I suppose. It's hard to explain.

And, with that, R3 is officially as long as OWLD. Don't worry, dear readers. I'm just now getting to the main event, so there's still quite a bit of story to go before I finish up.


	16. Chapter XVI: Capture

Kuro had been just as stupefied as Pit when the latter told him about Remiel, but things had been otherwise quiet. Ephraim had been overjoyed at the idea of a playmate around his age, and both Nemo and Levica had agreed that their child deserved the chance to simply be a child. And so, Ephraim and Remiel had grown to be close friends in their youth, though as time passed they were distracted by their various duties and training. Despite that, they'd maintained a strong bond as peace, for the most part, reigned for close to two hundred years. Ephraim had grown into a fine angel and his wings had matured around his thirtieth year in Skyworld, and Pit and Kuro had both seen it fit to officially name him captain. He had proven to be strong, quick, and quite intelligent with a compassion for those around him that may have been even greater than Pit's.

Remiel had grown as well, in his own way. It seemed his life span worked in a similar way to angels, growing and maturing at a slower rate than humans but reaching a certain point when his physical appearance ceased its changes. He had been a little slower than Ephraim, but it didn't matter much after so long of them both reaching maturity.

Now, up in Skyworld, Ephraim's blue eyes glinted in the summer sunlight as he watched Kuro carefully. He'd chosen a Samurai Blade as his weapon of choice and brandished it now, and his commander was armed with his trademark bow. They were both sweating and breathing heavily, but neither would back down so easily.

"You've improved," Kuro remarked as he straightened up, though he remained in a battle stance. "But you know just as well as I do that we can't just relax. Especially when the Centurions do nothing but lounge around like lumps!" A couple of spectator Centurions awkwardly dispersed at his comment, and he sighed. "Lazy little… whatever. I- whoa!" He dodged to the side as Ephraim came at him with his blade at the ready, and he managed to nick Kuro's leg.

"Always gotta be ready, right, Commander?" Ephraim grinned as Kuro stared at him. "What? You let yourself get distracted, so I took the opportunity. Isn't that what you'd want me to do in an actual battle?"

"I suppose," he nodded. "Very good. You've gotten faster." And, despite his minor injury, he smiled. "You're just like Pit when he was younger. Before he turned boring."

"_I heard that!"_ Pit's voice echoed around Ephraim's head, and he proceeded to start laughing. Kuro looked up and rolled his eyes.

"What, spying on me AGAIN, Pit?" he inquired, and Pit laughed as well.

"_No. I was just checking to see how your spar was going. Good work, Ephy." _Ephraim's grin only grew.

"Thank you, Lord Pit."

"_Nah. And seriously, Kuro. I am not boring!" _Kuro crossed his arms and smirked.

"Uh huh," he said flatly. "You've gotten so serious. You hole yourself up in the temple and maybe, occasionally, go out for a flight around Skyworld or to watch a match. Since when have you actually done something fun?"

"_Alright, that's it!"_ And with that, and a few seconds later, Pit flew in like a bullet and tackled his brother, and the two rolled and wrestled for several moments before he pinned Kuro to the ground. Despite his loss, Kuro was laughing.

"Okay, okay, fine. I take it back: You're not boring. Usually."

"And don't you forget it," Pit grinned, and Ephraim cracked up until his sides hurt.

"You gonna let me up?" Kuro wondered, and Pit shrugged.

"Maybe." He looked up for some reason and smiled as he stood up and held his hand out, pulling Kuro to his feet. "Well, I think we've got a visitor."

"Who?" Ephraim wondered, confused as Pit smiled at him. The god only pointed over the edge of the islet they were on, and something made of streams of light and darkness appeared from below. Once it reached the islet, it solidified into a human form. He was dressed in a long-sleeved robe, dark blue on one side and light on the other with a long white scarf over his shoulders and a pendant hanging from his neck. His choppy blond, silver-streaked hair rustled in the wind and his violet-red eyes were bright and cheerful.

"Apologies for the unannounced visit, Lord Pit," he greeted and bowed briefly, and Pit waved it off.

"It's no problem, Rem. You know you're welcome here anytime." Remiel nodded and he and Ephraim approached each other, and Ephraim threw a light punch at his friend's arm. Remiel shrugged it off and shoved him, earning a grin.

"So, what brings you up here?" Ephraim wondered. "And where's Master Nemo?"

"Back home," Remiel replied. "Lord Pit, Father wants to speak with you about something, but even I don't know what. He said it doesn't have to be in person, just as soon as possible." Pit nodded.

"Alright. I'll go see if I can contact him." With that, Pit took to the air and headed back toward the temple, and Kuro turned to the newcomer and the angel.

"I'll let you two catch up," he said. "I need to go kick around a few lazy wastes of energy anyway." He left as well, and Ephraim turned back to Remiel, grinning.

"So, what brings you to Skyworld?" he wondered, and Remiel shrugged.

"It's been a while since I visited, and I figured I'd see how you're doing. You seem awfully happy. Did something happen?"

"Yeah, I was going to tell you about it," Ephraim replied, blushing a bit.

"It's a girl, isn't it?" Remiel asked, and Ephraim stared at him.

"How'd you know?"

"Because I know you," Remiel answered with a smile on his face. "And it was the first thing that jumped to my head. But what girl? Unless I'm incredibly misinformed, you and Commander Kuro are the only angels in Skyworld. Did you fall for a Centurion or something?"

"No," Ephraim admitted. "It's… well, she's actually human. I was down on a mission once that took me to this town… I can't explain it. It's just… when I saw her, it was like something in me just clicked into place." He looked down sheepishly. "That probably sounds really stupid."

"Eh," Remiel shrugged. "I'm not the person to ask about that. But a human? Does Lord Pit know about this?"

"I don't think so." He glanced in the direction of Pit's temple. "You're the only person I've told about it and he hasn't come asking."

"Well," Remiel smiled again as he sat down on the edge of the islet, where Ephraim joined him. "Tell me about her."

"I think her name is Adena," Ephraim began. "She's got this beautiful, long brown hair, she's really pretty, and these green eyes that just sparkle."

"Yep, you're in love," Remiel teased, causing Ephraim to blush further.

"Wh-what makes you say that?"

"Just listening to the way you're talking about her," Rem explained. "But what are you going to do? Have you actually talked to her?"

"Briefly," Ephraim nodded. "She seemed to really like me… but I don't know if it's in that way, you know?" He sighed. "But I doubt Lord Pit would ever let it happen. I mean, I'm over two hundred years old and still look like a twenty-something year-old human. And the commander is even older than me. Lord Pit says that I'll be like this for as long as he knows of unless something happens to me… Not to mention that I'm an angel and Adena is a human." He drew his legs close to his body and rested his forehead on his knees. "I don't get it. I shouldn't even be thinking or feeling like this. But I… I don't know. The feeling just came, and I wish it was less complicated."

"Me too," Remiel agreed. "Well, good luck, Ephy. Sounds like you're going to need it."

"Thanks. I-" But the angel stopped himself as he heard the sound of wings in the breeze, and the boys both stood up and turned as Pit and Kuro both landed a short distance away from them. Pit approached them with a grave expression evident on his face. "Lord Pit? What's wrong?" Pit only nodded to him before turning to their visitor.

"Remiel, I just tried to contact your father," he began. "But he wasn't answering. I tried to find him or your mother, but…" He bit his lip briefly. "I couldn't. They're nowhere to be found, and it seems there's been some sort of disturbance in the Underworld." He sighed heavily, obviously not one to be the bearer of bad news. "Whatever it was, I have a feeling Nemo wasn't able to overcome it."

Ephraim turned to his friend, who looked completely lost in disbelief.

"Th-that's impossible," the Underworld prince stuttered. "I was just down there! I came straight here. There's no way anything could beat Father so fast."

"I want to believe the same thing," Pit agreed. "But I can't think of any other way to explain this. You said he wanted to speak with me, and yet he's nowhere to be found. And…" he sighed. "I'll admit I've had a bit of a strange feeling lately. I don't know if either of you know this, but I do tend to have something of prophetic dreams every now and again, and-"

"You haven't gotten a good night's sleep in weeks," Kuro said bluntly, and Pit nodded.

"Not quite how I would have put it, but yeah. I wonder if that's what Nemo wanted to talk about." He paused a moment. "Rem, I'm so sorry." Remiel nodded slowly.

"Hey Pit." Pit turned to his twin at his beckoning. "I'll head down to the Underworld and see what the problem is. I can-"

"No, you won't," Pit cut him off, earning a dumbfounded stare. "If whatever is down there managed to defeat Nemo, then you won't have a chance."

"Hey! I can handle myself!"

"So can my father," Remiel pointed out. "With all due respect, Commander, I think Lord Pit is right. And if anything, I should head down. I'm the Underworld's prince, so I should handle it if Father isn't able to." Pit shook his head.

"Rem, your parents trusted me to look after you if something prevented them from doing so. I can't let you run into the unknown like that. But I promise all of you that we will do something about this. We just have to plan what our action will be." The four of them were silent for several moments.

"Very well," Remiel dipped his head. "Thank you, Lord Pit." Pit nodded as well.

"Kuro, come with me. We'll talk, alright?" Kuro nodded. "Remiel, Ephraim, I'll be sure to let you know when we come up with something." With that, the god and his twin hurried off, and Remiel sighed heavily as Ephraim placed his hand on his friend's shoulder.

"Father, what happened?" he mumbled, lost in thought. "What could possibly beat you?" He fell silent for a moment. "How'd they know I was leaving?" He took a deep breath and let it out slowly.

"We'll find them," Ephraim assured him. "I'm sure he's alive."

"Oh, yes, he's alive," a sudden, sickly sweet voice sounded behind them, and they both jumped as they turned around. "There's no point in killing him. But as long as he's out of the way and the Underworld is mine, it doesn't matter to me." Ephraim stared at this newcomer, his dark purple skin, his oddly colorful hair that dripped into nothingness, his dark robes, and the shackle on his left wrist. One of his eyes was a deep red, and the other was an odd amber color.

"Wha…" Ephraim blinked. "Who the heck are you?"

"It doesn't concern you," the newcomer replied with a dangerous smile. "Now, out of my way if you don't want to get hurt." Ephraim readied his blade, his brow furrowed. "You really want to fight me?" This strange visitor shook his head in amusement. "Very well." Ephraim grit his teeth and rushed forward, shooting a blast from his weapon straight toward his target.

But it went straight through him.

"What the…?" Ephraim hurried forward and slashed his blade, and it again passed right through the strange being. "What are you?"

"That's not something you need to know," he replied, and his hand slammed into Ephraim's chest, knocking his breath away and sending him flying back. He landed with a thud and remained there, stunned, for a moment.

"Okay, now I'm mad," Remiel growled and sent forth a stream of dark energy that struck like lightning. But again, nothing.

"Are you two done playing around?" the stranger inquired among his laughter. "Go ahead! Wear yourselves down and make my job easier." Ephraim got back to his feet with a cough.

"Oof." He hurried over to Remiel, and they both took up their defensive stances. "Okay… how do we deal with this guy?"

"I don't know," Remiel replied quickly. "Just… try not to get hurt, I guess."

"No kidding." He sighed and stared at their opponent, but he wasn't doing anything. "What? Don't want to just finish us off?"

"I have no reason to," the newcomer replied. "You're not in my way and you have little actual power. I-" But a bright red arrow hit him in the back, and his eyes widened in alarm as he spun around to face its source: A very ticked off Kuro, flying in with his bow at the ready.

"And I just intended that to be a warning shot," he growled as he landed. "I don't care who you are. Get out of here." He didn't budge even as the newcomer smiled somewhat strangely at him.

"Black hair and red eyes, eh? I understand angels are rare, even here. So you must be this 'Kuro' I've heard so much about." Kuro aimed his bow, but didn't yet fire another shot.

"So what if I am?" he inquired. "I'm not the one you need to worry about. That would belong to him." He gestured up just as Pit landed, his own bow at the ready in place of his staff.

"Ah, Pit, the god of Light, eh?" the newcomer bowed mockingly. "Now you're the one I want to see. Permit me to introduce myself as Mastema."

"Mastema?" Pit echoed. "What do you want? Why are you here?"

"I'm on a bit of a mission," Mastema replied coolly. "As your little charges here have already figured out, I'm the one who captured Nemo." He smiled. "So, the Underworld is mine. I figured I'd move onto Skyworld next." Pit swallowed and readied his weapon.

"And what makes you so sure you can just come in and take over? You're surrounded, Mastema. I've defeated gods even before I became one. What makes you think you can beat me?"

"Oh, I realize it won't be easy," Mastema agreed. "I've heard so much about you, Lord Pit. I will not be able to strike you down as easily as Nemo fell." Remiel winced at the sharpness of his words. "But I think you'll find that I have plenty of means at my disposal. And besides," he scoffed, "You can't hope to defeat me in return."

"That doesn't mean I won't try," Pit growled and launched himself off his back foot, aiming his blade at their opponent. But, again, it passed straight through him. "What?" Pit blinked. "What happened?"

"My turn." Pit found himself being hit square in the back, a strike that sent him to the ground. He sprung off his hands and back to his feet, panting a bit. "Hmm," Mastema nodded. "You are quite stubborn, aren't you? I suppose anyone who could defeat the goddess of darkness while still a child would have to be." Without warning, he suddenly disappeared and reappeared directly behind Kuro. With a kick to the back of his knee and a punch to his back, he fell quickly, and Mastema grabbed one of the blades of his bow and held it to his throat.

"Okay, okay, wait!" Pit protested, dropping his bow. "Just stop. Don't hurt him."

"Oh, don't worry," Mastema replied, ignoring the bloody murder Kuro was spitting at him. "Killing him doesn't suit my interests of now. I need him for something else." With that, he delivered a vicious blow to the back of his hostage's head, knocking Kuro out like a drowned torch. He hung limply in Mastema's grip, his wings drooping. "But one thing leads to another," Mastema went on. "If you're just going to keep acting up, then I suppose I'll have no choice but to make him wish he was dead. I'll torture him until he shouts curses of your name, begging for the merciful grip of death itself. Oh, the pain he'll endure."

"Alright, alright," Pit held his hands up. "Just… don't."

"Good man," Mastema nodded. "But, regardless, I'll be taking this little angel wannabe to the Underworld either way. He'll make a great present."

"Wait, what?" Pit clenched his fists. "What do you want?!"

"I want you out of the way," Mastema replied. "But whether you cooperate or not, this one is coming with me. What shape he's in is up to you." Pit clenched his teeth, anger boiling in his core.

"Rem," he said quickly, gaining both Remiel and Ephraim's attention. "Follow us." With that, he cast the Power of Flight to Ephraim's wings and quickly dove over the edge of the islet as his angel looked around wildly before he registered what was happening. Remiel indeed followed, but Mastema only watched in amusement as they fled.

"So, your own brother has abandoned you," he said to the unconscious Kuro. "Poor little misfit. You really don't belong anywhere, do you? Even after all these years, you're not even meant to exist." He smirked. "Well, whatever. I know someone who will be SO happy to see you."


	17. Chapter XVII: Burning Vengeance

With a muffled groan and a pounding ache in the back of his head, Kuro opened his eyes groggily and found himself lying on his side over hard, dark stone. He blinked, trying to clear his vision and mind to properly assess the situation and quickly came to the conclusion that his hands had been tied behind his back and his wings were bound, barring him from any hope of flight. He shifted around as best he could to sit up and look around. He was surrounded by darkness, only a dull, brown-red light illuminating the area around him. It didn't take long for him to figure out that he was somewhere in the Underworld.

"Oh, you're awake!" His mind blanked as soon as the voice reached his ears, and a hot anger he thought had long subsided furiously burned back to life within his core. No matter how long he lived, he would never forget that voice.

"Pandora," he growled just as she skipped into his line of sight. She grinned at him almost maniacally as she twirled his laurel crown around one finger, the other hand on her hip.

"Oh, so you DO remember me!" she scoffed. "How wonderful. So you know why you're here!" He stared at her.

"I'm here because some jerk knocked me unconscious after using me to blackmail Pit. But now I get the feeling he was just doing your dirty work."

"Wrong," she hissed. "No, you were payment for a debt he owed me. And speaking of which, it's time I paid YOU back for everything you've done to me." She half jumped, half floated over to him and slid her hand under his jaw, holding it tight and angling his face toward her. "Look at you. You hide yourself behind the white tunic and wings, call yourself Commander of Skyworld's army, and say you're the brother of the god of Light himself. But you can't get rid of it!" She started laughing, only fanning the flames of the rage within him. "Inside, you'll always be Dark Pit!" She released him and stepped back, crossing her arms. "Yes, no matter what you do, you'll always be that incomplete misfit that was never meant to exist. Poor little fallen angel, trying to claw his way back up to a place he doesn't belong."

"Okay," he said as his face flushed with anger. "Now, I'm mad."

"And what are you going to do about it?" she wondered. "I'll tell you what. You're going to suffer through the pain and agony I see fit. Maybe I'll kill you, or maybe I'll just make you beg for death." Her smile grew dangerously. "Yes, that seems about right. I'll do to you what Medusa always wished to do to that blasted Pit." With that, she snapped his laurel crown and tossed the pieces to the ground, and he grit his teeth as a spike of grief drove through his heart. "Now, then." She drew forth her blade and winked at him. "Hold still so I don't make a mess." He snorted.

"That's been your problem ever since I came into existence," he said in a low voice. "You're always underestimating me."

"Your hands are tied!" she pointed out. "Literally! You can't fly, and you're unarmed. What do you possibly think you can still do?" Despite the hatred pulsing through his body, he smirked. And with that, he activated the Energy Shield from the cuff on his wrist and broke through whatever it was keeping his hands tied. She stared at him in shock as he held it up.

"One of the new Sacred Treasures crafted by Dyntos himself," he informed her. "Being Commander of the Skyworld Army has its perks." He grabbed hold of the clasp on his tunic and a light briefly enveloped him, equipping his armor he'd received back when he and Pit had challenged Hades for the second time. "And," he set himself into a battle stance with his gaze locked on the blue-haired goddess. "Unlike Pit, I actually practice in hand-to-hand combat. As far as that goes, I'm the best in Skyworld."

"Which probably isn't that hard," she teased. "There's what- you, Pit, and that new angel?"

"Details," he replied, and she shrugged.

"Whatever. It won't make a difference when I'm done with you." She summoned up several explosive spheres and launched them at him, but he delivered a quick kick to two of them and volleyed them back at her. She squeaked as they exploded once they reached her, and glared at him. He jumped and skidded back quickly as she disappeared and reappeared just as quickly, slashing her blade at him. He leapt forward and hit her hard in the back with his elbow as he, sending her sailing forth. And as she recovered herself and turned around, he hurried back around and delivered a vicious punch straight to her nose.

"You little piece of scrap!" she spat at him as she inspected her now bleeding nose as best she could.

"What?" his eyebrow rose quizzically. "Tired of me hitting you in the face?" He snorted. "One of these days, you'll figure out that I don't take orders from you. And I never will." He sighed as she stared at him. "I mean, every time you try to order me around, you get hurt. Why don't you just quit and save yourself the trouble?"

"Pathetic, insignificant waste," she glared at him. "Don't think I'll give up so easily!" And with that, and to his surprise, she thrust several razor-sharp spikes at him- one of which caught him in the arm and the other on the side of his abdomen. He grit his teeth and sighed heavily.

"Been practicing?" He didn't wait for an answer as he rushed her again. She raised her blade again, giving him an idea, and he smiled darkly. Instead of dodging, he let it hit the guard on his arm and brought the other down over it, snapping it out of her grip, and she glared at him as he picked it up quickly and pointed at her.

"You sneaky little devil." He shook his head.

"If it means the difference between my death and my well-being, I don't fight fair." He raised the blade up over his head and behind him, and she watched him with burning eyes as she visibly coiled herself to spring at a moment's notice. But he slashed it forward anyway, cutting through the bind on his wings and spreading them for a moment as she glared at him.

"What do you think you're doing?!" she demanded, and he stared at her.

"What's best for me," he replied and brought the sword down hard against his shin guard, breaking it in two. She yelled out in frustrated, wordless anger, and a blast of blue fire suddenly erupted under him and burned his skin in several places as he jumped out of it. He fought back the pain and kept his gaze on her as he tried to recover the breath that had been knocked out of him. He spread his wings and leapt into the air with fire following him, following by more of the spikes that nearly turned him into a pincushion. He dodged them as best he could, but exhaustion and the pain of the injuries he'd already sustained were starting to catch up with him. And, to his horror, one of the spikes managed to drive itself into the side his back where his armor failed to protect, and he knew Pit must have still been looking after him when he realized it had barely missed something vital. It dissipated before he had the chance to pull it out, but the injury remained and continued to bleed.

"You're not getting away so easily!" she called after him, and he looked down to see her following him- and gaining ground quickly. He took a deep breath and turned around, nosing into a dive and folding his wings in as he shot toward her. At the last moment, he flipped and stomped hard on her, springing back up and sending her crashing to the ground as he headed for the Underworld's exit.

Whether she had finally learned her lesson or he'd just done enough damage for one day, she didn't follow him, and the only thing he had to fight on his way back to the Overworld was unconsciousness that threatened him more and more with each passing moment as his wounds remained untreated.


	18. Chapter XVIII: Reunions

Pit sat at the edge of a rather large hot spring partially hidden at the edge of a forest on the Overworld. Ephraim and Remiel were a short distance away, the angel trying to console his friend over his parents' defeat and apparent capture. Pit was worried about them as well, along with everything else that had happened in such a short time. He went over the facts again and again, tried examining them from every angle, but there wasn't much he knew and the rest wasn't helping him at all. This Mastema was an odd character and was obviously very powerful, but he still had nothing on the stranger's motives or who and what he truly was.

Then came the weight on his mind that was his worry over Kuro's well-being. He couldn't help but feel guilty about the situation, that he had traded his brother for himself and the two that had accompanied him. He'd all but surrendered Skyworld and the only family he still had so he would have a chance to fight- a chance he didn't know if he'd actually win.

"Some god I am," he mumbled as he rested his forehead against his knees.

"What do you mean?" He looked up to find Ephraim and Remiel both watching him, much to his embarrassment.

"Lord Pit, please understand. None of this is your fault," Remiel insisted. "You gave us the chance to fight back. There wasn't any other course you could take that would have done that."

"Yeah," Ephraim agreed. "And the Commander is hard to beat- you know that!" He smiled, despite their situation. "He'll be fine. And-"

"Up there!" Remiel interrupted him, and Pit stood as he and Ephraim followed the Underworld prince's pointing to the sky. Sure enough, there was a shape gliding toward them, with white wings and black hair.

"Kuro!" Pit called out, relief spreading over him before being quickly replaced by concern as he observed his twin's flight. It was staggered, and he was quickly losing altitude, like he was struggling to stay airborne. Pit hurried to meet him and reached him just as he crashed into the ground.

"Commander!" Ephraim followed him closely, and they both knelt down next to the red-eyed angel as Pit observed his injuries- cuts, burns, and what appeared to be evidence of something stabbing him in the side. Most of his other wounds looked relatively old, but this one was still bleeding and staining his clothes a darker and darker shade of red.

"Kuro?" Pit beckoned again as his twin gasped for air and trembled. "Kuro, stay with me! What happened?"

"P-Pan…dora…" Kuro replied, barely, just before he lost consciousness. Another shot of worry quickly sped through Pit's body, and he gnawed his lip for a moment before turning to Ephraim.

"There's not much I can do for him like this. Help me get him over to the Hot Spring." Ephraim nodded vigorously as Pit pulled Kuro up under his back and shoulders, careful not to aggravate any of his visible injuries any further as Ephraim supported his Commander's legs. Between the two of them, they carried the unconscious angel over to the Hot Spring's waters and lowered him in gently, and Pit went to work tending to his wounds as best he could. His stomach twisted slightly as he watched Kuro's blood briefly mix with the water itself as it sealed the wound on his back and began to work on healing him as it was capable of.

"Did Pandora really do this?" he wondered, thinking back to his fights with the goddess of Calamity so many years ago. The burns seemed to be evidence as such, but he wasn't so sure about the cuts and stabs he had sustained.

"Father said she'd been acting strange lately," Remiel spoke up, and Pit turned his head to look at him. "He's never been on the best terms with her, said he would have preferred keeping her wiped from existence." Pit chuckled uneasily. "But she's never been openly hostile with him."

"I see," the god of Light nodded and looked back to his brother. "And if anyone would have a score to settle with him, it'd be her."

"Who exactly is Pandora, anyway?" Ephraim asked. "What would she want with him?"

"She's the goddess of Calamity," Pit explained. "And she's good at her job. Kind of crazy, but smart. Crafty." He paused as he pondered his angel's other question. "She… well…" he sighed. "I might as well tell you now. I get the feeling it'll come up no matter what by the end of this, so it's probably best you don't find out the hard way."

"Find what out the hard way?" Ephraim wondered as he sat down, and Remiel joined him. Pit glanced back to Kuro's unconscious form again and decided there wasn't anything else he could do other than to just let the Hot Spring do its work.

"In all technicalities, Kuro isn't my brother," he began, and took a deep breath as he felt both the boys' interest zero in on him.

"But he looks just like you," Ephraim pointed out. "I always thought you were twins."

"Not exactly," Pit continued. "For all intensive purposes, Kuro is me- a part of me, anyway." Confusion and shock became evident in Ephraim's eyes. "It's part of why he and I are so hard to kill. You have to get us both, since we technically share a soul- my soul."

"How is that possible?" Ephraim wondered.

"Father had told me that once," Remiel recalled. "But he never went into any detail. I assumed it was because you were brothers."

"Again, not quite. And I'll explain, if you'll let me finish." They both mumbled a quick 'sorry' before he continued again. "It was back when I was working toward fighting Medusa for the second time, when I was still an angel in Lady Palutena's service. I was going to challenge Pandora and to get rid of something called the Mirror of Truth. Whether it actually reflected the truth… I don't know." Ephaim still seemed genuinely confused, but Pit could see hints of understanding in Remiel's eyes. "She and Medusa were using it to duplicate monsters, essentially giving the Underworld an unlimited supply of troops without having to use souls. Anyway, I fought Pandora off and she supposedly surrendered, revealing the Mirror. I jumped forward to shatter it with a kick, and that's exactly what I did. But… well, no one warned me about not looking into it while doing so.

"Just as I broke it, the Mirror created a flawed, even opposite clone of me- black hair, red eyes, dark clothes, and shadowy wings. Pandora gave him the rather uncreative name 'Dark Pit' and said he was created to serve the Underworld. Uh…" He paused and chuckled a bit. "He punched her in the face. And mind you, Pandora was a ball of vapor at that point. Dark Pit was never good about following orders, and had a fiercely independent spirit- perhaps to prove that he wasn't like me: a puppet, as he saw me. Anyway, he and I actually teamed up to finish Pandora off. But as soon as we did, he kicked me in the stomach and stole what was left of Pandora's powers so he could fly indefinitely.

"We clashed several times after that. I can't say I ever really hated him, but… he more confused me, I guess. Sure, he got on my nerves and neither of us could ever really actually beat the other, but that was about it. And I don't know if he ever actually hated me or not. But anyway. I won't get into how I got turned into a ring for a while, but Lady Palutena was captured and Dark Pit had apparently come to the conclusion that he and I were connected. If something happened to me, he would be finished too. And because of that, he suddenly became my closest ally and even saved my life a couple of times.

"Er… My wings caught fire when I was trying to save him, and he repaid the favor by clearing the way to the Rewind Spring. But while he was there, Pandora apparently used the spring to revive herself and fight him, but he beat her and revived me. Unfortunately, he'd lost his ability to fly on his own. But, moving on. After I defeated Hades for the first time, Dark Pit went off on his own for a while, though he struck some sort of deal with Viridi so he could still gain flight every now and again. We both got involved in fighting Hades again when he managed to resurrect himself with a new body. But we stopped him and Lady Palutena imprisoned him in the Underworld. Remiel, I assume you know the rest of that side of the story." Remiel nodded. "Anyway, Dark Pit, at that point, had seen more of the reason behind my actions and had even agreed that the world was worth saving. Lady Palutena granted him a place in Skyworld, turned his dark wings white, and gave him a new name. He's been my closest comrade ever since."

The boys both stared at him, and Ephraim glanced briefly to his Commander.

"So… Commander Kuro was Dark Pit?" Pit nodded. "Whoa."

"Yeah. Though if you ever called him that, he would probably kick you into next week. He's been working for quite some time to wash himself of that part of his life."

"And he's done a pretty good job of it," a new voice suddenly spoke up, and the three looked up to find a certain lord of the Underworld standing a short distance away, the wisps of his flame-like spirit form still fading around him.

"F-Father?" Remiel stuttered, and Nemo smiled at him. "Father!" He jumped to his feet and rushed over to the newcomer, hugging him tight as Nemo held him close. Pit stood as well and Ephraim followed his example, and the former smiled as he observed the reunion. From the way he was shaking, it seemed Remiel was sobbing ever so slightly, and Nemo stroked his hair gently. Strangely enough, despite his appearance, the prince still had some childish tendencies, especially regarding his parents. Adding his worry over them didn't help his situation.

"I'm here, Rem," Nemo said softly. "It's alright." Remiel nodded and backed up a pace, wiping his eyes with the back of his sleeve as Nemo turned his gaze toward an approaching Pit. The two shook hands and the lord of the Underworld smiled.

"Glad to see you're okay," Pit greeted.

"Likewise," Nemo agreed. "It worried me when I sensed Kuro's presence in the Underworld. But it seems he's okay- more or less."

"He'll live," Pit said. "He's just kind of banged up."

"I can tell. But I suppose it's thanks to him that I managed to escape." Pit blinked.

"So… Mastema really did capture you?" Nemo nodded slowly. "Uh… alright. Looks like you and I have a lot to talk about."

"Indeed." He turned to the boys. "Can you two keep an eye on Kuro?"

"Yes, sir," they both replied within moments of each other. Pit nodded and the two gods headed for a walk in the woods.

"Alright," Pit sighed. "Wanna start at the beginning?"  
"Sure." Nemo took a deep breath. "A little while back, I sensed that something was… well, off. I'm not sure how else to describe it. There was something in the Underworld, but I didn't know what and I could never find it if I went looking. But Pandora had been acting strange- like she was awfully happy and carefree. I hadn't seen her like that since Medusa first took over Skyworld after her banishment." He paused. "That brings us to yesterday. Not half a mark after Rem left to visit you and Ephraim, Mastema suddenly appeared and told me he was taking over the Underworld. Naturally, I tried to fight back, but…"

"Everything went right through him, right?" Pit guessed, and Nemo turned to him.

"Yes. I'm going to assume you had the same issue." Pit nodded. "I exhausted myself trying to find a way to catch him, but there was nothing I could do. And by that time, Pandora had captured Levica." Pit could tell just by his companion's expression that he hadn't been able to save her yet. "I had been working since they imprisoned me to get out- nothing holds me for long. But Pandora had been defending my prison after Mastema headed for Skyworld, and I couldn't quite get through her power." He paused.

"Then Kuro suddenly showed up. Not directly to me, but in the Underworld in general. I'm going to assume he had his fight with Pandora, and that distracted her long enough for me to get out. I owe him for his help. And you as well, for keeping Rem safe."

"I promised I would, didn't I?" Pit pointed out, and Nemo smiled, though the god of Light could still see the shadow of grief in his red eyes. "But you're safe, and Kuro is on his way to recovery. I guess the next step is figuring out how we beat Mastema. Because, sooner or later, he's going to find a way to take us out of the picture permanently."

"Exactly," Nemo agreed. "But how does one strike a being who can control his form like that?"

"I don't know," Pit breathed and massaged his forehead. "But we've got to find an answer, or this entire world is done for."

"I guess first thing's first," Nemo continued. "We head back to Skyworld. Maybe, between the two of us, we can at least find a way to do some sort of damage to him."

"Alright," Pit nodded. "Then we should rest up tonight and head out tomorrow morning."

"Very well," he agreed. "Then shall we head back?"

"Yeah." They turned and returned to Ephraim and Remiel, and the latter seemed almost giddy that he'd reunited with his father. Pit smiled and turned his attention to a stirring Kuro, and hurried over to him as the red-eyed angel sat up.

"You okay?" he wondered, and Kuro turned to him.

"I guess so," he replied. "Is that Nemo?"

"Yes, I am," Nemo said with a laugh. "Thanks for distracting Pandora so I could escape." Kuro blinked and nodded, and Pit could tell something was weighing on his mind.

"Can you walk?" he asked as Kuro got to his feet, and his twin nodded again. "Then follow me?"

"Alright." They headed a short distance away from the others as Remiel began to catch up with his father, and Ephraim seemed intent on listening to what he had to say. Once they were some distance away, Pit sat down again and Kuro joined him.

"So what's this about?" The red-eyed angel asked somewhat dully.

"I'm sorry," Pit mumbled. "I didn't want to leave you with that… that freak, but I didn't have much of a choice."

"Whatever," Kuro shrugged, though he winced. It seemed even the Hot Spring couldn't soak away all of his wounds. "You did what you had to do. I'm not mad or anything."

"So you fought Pandora?"

"Yep," Kuro smirked. "She wasn't too happy with me. As usual. But just because I don't have a weapon doesn't mean I can't fight." His smirk faded, and a grave seriousness took its place.

"What's wrong?" Pit wondered, and Kuro didn't immediately reply.

"Ever since Lady Palutena gave me white wings, I've been trying to leave that damned 'Dark Pit' behind. But no matter what I do, I can't seem to shake that part of my life." He snorted. "I've been alive for over two hundred years, and only three of those were devoted to my going by that name. And yet, it keeps following me." He clenched his fists, and Pit swallowed his concern. "What if they're right? What if I'm really not meant to exist?" He looked down at the grass, though his eyes were unfocused. "The Keepers themselves don't consider me an angel, so what am I? I'm not whole, and neither are you- not as long as I exist."

"Kuro-"

"I'm doing the best I can!" Kuro suddenly yelled. "But Pandora's right. Inside, I'll always be your dark reflection. I can't change that." He fell silent, and Pit could visibly see he was wrestling with something internally.

"Kuro, you said it yourself. It's been over two hundred years since you first came into being, and you've saved my life time and time again. I wouldn't be here if it wasn't for you."

"That doesn't change who I am," Kuro mumbled.

"I don't care." Kuro blinked and turned to stare at him. "For the love of the gods, Kuro! You were created as a copy of ME! If I don't care about that, if I want you around, if I accept you for who you are, then why does anyone else matter? It doesn't matter to me- you're my brother." Kuro stared at him for several moments longer before he broke down and caught Pit off guard with a sudden tight hug, burying his face in the god's shoulder. Once his surprise subsided, Pit returned the hug as best he could.

"You've been keeping this bottled up all these years," he realized. "I was wrong when I thought you'd gotten over it." He paused. "I'm sorry…" They remained that way for a short time before Kuro pulled back, and Pit smiled a bit.

"Thanks," he said somewhat weakly, and he sat up as he collected himself. "But I guess you're right. I mean, I thought I'd gotten over it too. But… much as I hate to admit it, Pandora is good at playing with my head."

"She's good at playing with everyone's head," Pit chuckled.

"Yeah. But… I didn't need the reminder, I guess," Kuro continued. "But you're right. I mean, it's true- if anyone should care, it's you. But you don't. You never have, have you?" Pit shook his head.

"Nah, not really. I mean… the only reason I came after you that one time was because Lady Palutena had ordered me to. Sure, you confused me, but I never resented your existence." He sighed. "And just so you know, I told Ephraim and Remiel about the whole Mirror of Truth thing." Kuro nodded.

"That makes sense. They might as well find out now. But," his tone suddenly became almost serious, "If you tell them about my little breakdown, I'll kick you into next week!" Despite the threat, Pit started laughing.

"Nice to know your pride is still in tact," he teased. "Don't worry. I won't tell. Anyway," he stood up. "We're all heading back to Skyworld at first light. So we should get some rest." Kuro stood as well and stretched. "Think you'll be okay?"

"Yeah," he replied. "I can handle it."


	19. Chapter XIX: Shift

The night had gone far too quickly for Pit's tastes, and it seemed he'd barely slept a wink before he and Nemo had decided it was time to depart. Adrenaline pulsed through his body as he led the flight toward Skyworld. What could they do differently? What exactly was Mastema? What did the stranger want? What was his goal? How could they defeat him if they couldn't even attack in the first place?

He had no answers as they approached his home. Two angels and their god, and the lord and prince of the Underworld. A strange group by anyone's standards, but Pit trusted them more than any others in their world.

"So much for the element of surprise," Ephraim mumbled as the five found Mastema waiting for him, his expression somewhere between a grin and a smirk.

"Well, I can see Pandora failed in whatever it was she wanted to do," he observed as he scanned over both Nemo and Kuro. "You just can't find good help these days." He shrugged. "Oh well. I trust you all are doing alright?" Pit blinked. The mock sincerity this… thing portrayed contrasted starkly with the genuine hospitality Nemo had shown him and Kuro so many years ago. They were both his enemies at some point or other, and yet they were so different.

"I'll be better when you explain to me who you are and what you're doing," Pit replied. "What do you want?" To his annoyance, Mastema only shrugged again.

"You know, Pit, I was taking a stroll around Skyworld yesterday. One could really get used to living up here, as I'm sure you know. But…" He crossed his arms and glanced over in the direction Pit's gaze tended to avoid. "I came across the statue of our dear departed Palutena, and I'm curious. You were the commander of her army and her closest ally, were you not?"

"Yes," Pit replied carefully. "Why?"

"I will not ask if there was a way you could have prevented her untimely death. But," the look in Mastema's eyes made him uncomfortable, like a predator luring its prey into a trap to be killed. "Why did you not avenge her?" Pit stared at him, caught off guard by the question.

"What do you mean?" he blurted, and both Kuro and Nemo's tension was practically tangible behind him.

"Wasn't Nemo here responsible for her destruction?" Mastema continued, and his words played with Pit's head more than he would have expected.

"We agreed that we both played a part in her death," Nemo interrupted quickly. "That's behind us."

"Is it?" Mastema turned his gaze back toward Pit. "Do you really think you shoulder even some of the blame? I've heard about everything Nemo did all those years ago, the death and destruction he spread, his attempt to claw at the power he was never meant to have. Tell me, if he hadn't acted in such a way in the first place, hadn't tried to rewrite the world as we know it, would Palutena still be around?" Pit didn't openly reply, but he could find truth in Mastema's words. "So who is truly to blame? Were you not a victim of circumstance?"

Pit's gaze lost focus for a moment as doubt overtook him for a moment. Mastema had a point: Nemo was responsible for causing the events that led to Palutena's demise. If he truly had just kept his place, the goddess likely wouldn't have died.

"Pit," Nemo beckoned. "We've talked about this! I never wanted anything to happen to her."

"Then why did you force us to fight her?!" Pit demanded, whirling around to face the lord of the Underworld, and all four of his companions stared at him in shock. "Even if you had gone through with your little crusade, you didn't have to do that!"

"I felt I-"

"'Test our resolve' nothing!" Pit cut him off. "Didn't you do that the first time?"

"Hey, Pit, calm down," Kuro spoke up. "Relax. You two can fight this out later. Right now we have to focus on him." He pointed at Mastema, who had a disturbingly amused smile on his face. Something in Pit's being told him to listen to his twin, but he found it difficult. The doubt in his heart had suddenly smoldered into burning anger, and he couldn't seem to shake it. And as he tried to force it to subside, to put himself back into a proper state of mind, it only burned hotter. He felt like something was gripping him, and the more he struggled, the tighter it got.

"He's right," Nemo agreed. "Yell at me or do what you will later. This isn't the time."

"No…" Pit glared at him and summoned his bow. "The time was years ago! I should have finished you off when I had the chance. I don't know why I held back."

"You said yourself that you couldn't kill him," Kuro reminded him. "What's with you? Why are you acting like this?" Pit ignored him and kept his gaze on Nemo.

"It doesn't matter now. He's right. It's time I avenged my goddess." Nemo's eyes widened in alarm, and he jumped back to dodge the arrow fired at him.

"Lord Pit, stop!" Remiel pleaded as he started toward his father, but Nemo waved him back, and he hesitantly complied.

"You'd better stand back," Kuro said quickly to his fellow angel, and Ephraim nodded quickly.

"Pit, come on!" Nemo said as he set himself into a defensive stance. "Calm down. What's wrong with you?"

"What did you do to him?!" Kuro demanded of Mastema, who only shrugged. "That's not an answer. What did you do?!"

"Nothing," he replied. "I just reminded him of what he should be doing." Kuro glared at him, and Pit did the same at Nemo. He grit his teeth and rushed forward with his bow at the ready, and Nemo briefly disappeared and reappeared a moment later. Perhaps he'd been expecting as such, as he spun around quickly and struck again before Nemo could react. Again, Nemo jumped back, clutching his wound for a moment.

"Alright, that's it." Kuro sprinted forward and his bow collided with Pit's as the latter struck again, and a loud clang of metal on metal echoed through Skyworld.

"What do you think you're doing?" Pit inquired curtly as his icy blue gaze met Kuro's burning red eyes.

"I don't know what's wrong with you," Kuro replied, "But this isn't you. And if I have to knock you around to clear your head, then that's what I'll do." Pit snorted and shot forth a blast of light from his free hand that sent Kuro flying back. But the commander was well trained, and he sprung off his hands and back to his feet, and he rushed forth once again. Pit blocked his attack and again sent him flying, and he wasn't so fortunate this time. He landed with a thud, though he got back to his feet once more.

"You gonna help me?!" the red-eyed angel demanded, but Nemo didn't respond. Kuro sighed heavily and turned his attention back to Pit.

"Why are you doing this?" the god of Light asked in a harsh voice. "Why are you fighting me?"

"Something's wrong with you," Kuro replied. "And I promised Lady Palutena that I'd keep you safe. If this is what it takes, then I'll gladly comply!"

"So that's how you 'keep me safe?' By attacking me?" Kuro found himself knocked back by a wave of light energy, and he found Pit's blade a few hairs away from his side before he had a change to get back up. "You've seen how I deal with traitors, Kuro." Kuro swallowed as panic began to overtake him. "Do you really want to turn against me? Do you want to suffer that same fate?!"

"Pit, listen to yourself!" Kuro demanded. "This isn't you. Whatever it is controlling you, fight back!" Pit lowered his head.

"So, you'll still defy me. Is that it?" He sighed. "Very well, then. Wherever you end up, I wish you the best." He lifted his blade, and Kuro realized there was nothing he could do to get through to him. He could fight, but Pit was a god- he would always have raw power on his side, something that Kuro couldn't obtain. He squinted his eyes shut and prepared for the worst.

The worst wasn't what he expected. He opened his eyes briefly as he heard Pit cry out in some sort of distress, and he found Nemo catching him off guard with some sort of dark power that sent a chill down Kuro's spine.

"Rem, Ephraim, be ready to run," he said quickly. "I'll take care of Kuro."

"Wha…" Kuro started to protest, but found a sudden bright light that appeared within the darkness Nemo had summoned. And with that and the sight of Pit falling to the ground like a limp noodle, Kuro's world went black.


	20. Chapter XX: Trade-Off

"…der…" A voice sounded like a far off echo in the darkness Kuro had suddenly entered. He'd been here once before, if his memory had recalled correctly. But he couldn't remember why or how he'd gotten out.

"…mander!" the voice called again, louder than before.

_Who's there?_ He wondered. There hadn't been any voices last time. But when was the last time? How had he ended up there? Why was he there again?

"Commander Kuro!" the voice said once more, and Kuro recognized it. He knew he'd heard it before, but couldn't place who it belonged to. "Wake up?"

_Wake up? _He repeated silently. _Sure, why not?_

He opened his eyes groggily and found Nemo, Remiel, and Ephraim –the source of the voice- watching him intently. He sat up quickly, causing his head to spin as a pain made itself known in his chest.

"Alright, Kuro," Nemo said softly. "Relax. You're okay." Almost all of the answers to his questions came rushing back to him at once. The darkness had been some strange unconsciousness of something binding his soul- or rather Pit's, severing it from his twin's body and leaving him as little more than a dead body. It was the same strange occurrence that had happened when Pit's soul had been sealed in a ring by the Chaos Kin.

"Where's Pit?" he demanded, and Nemo didn't immediately reply.

"Which part of him?" he finally said, and Kuro stared at him. "His body is still in Skyworld, as far as I know of. His soul? I did the best I could to use it to revive you, but it wasn't exactly easy."

"That would explain the tightness in my chest," he muttered as he gripped the fabric over it. He was, once again, holding onto a soul that was strong enough to sustain two connected beings, and almost too strong for one to maintain. "But he's still in Skyworld? What were you thinking?!"

"It was either you or him," Nemo explained, holding his hands up. "And I'm under the assumption that Mastema has some sort of grip on him- how, I don't know. But I removed his soul from his body to both save you and keep it out of Mastema's reach."

"Could Mastema still control him?" Kuro inquired. "Like the whole thing with the Chaos Kin?" Nemo shook his head.

"Pit is a god now. Even if a spirit doesn't inhabit his body, he should still have some sort of measure to keep just anything from controlling it. The Chaos Kin itself was manipulating Palutena's soul, and that's how it could control her. If Mastema doesn't have access to Pit's soul, then he should be fine."

"Uh huh," Kuro rolled his eyes.

"So, now what?" Ephraim wondered. "We can't just leave Lord Pit up there in that guy's grip. Is there a way we could revive him?"

"Of course," Nemo nodded. "But I'd need to be sure that he would be okay. Much as I'm almost certain it wasn't his doing specifically, I'd rather not have him trying to kill me again."

"That would be preferable," Remiel grumbled.

"Right. So- Kuro!" Nemo called as Kuro jumped to his feet, retrieved his bow, and took to the air. "Where do you think you're going?!"

"To save my brother!" Kuro called back, and ignored whatever else they tried to say to him. He sped as fast as his wings could carry him toward Skyworld as he pushed the pain in his chest to the back of his mind, his bow gripped tight and his eyes trained forward as he broke through the clouds. Mastema was nowhere to be found, and the islets were all but void of life save a few insects and small birds. He headed quickly for the temple and landed outside, hurrying through the main corridor to the gate chamber on the opposite side. As soon as he entered, he found Mastema waiting for him with his arms crossed and a confident smile on his face. One red and one amber eye watched him with the glint of a predator.

"I figured it wouldn't be long before I saw you again," he greeted, and Kuro glared at him. "As you're probably wondering, Pit- or rather, his body- is fine. For now."

"If you even touch him, I will personally destroy you." At that, Mastema simply laughed.

"Will you, now? Unless you're even more moronic than I thought, then you've probably figured out that you can't even hit me, let alone hurt me. So what will you do?"

"I…" For that, Kuro had no answer. "I'll find a way."

"Oh, that's rich," Mastema's laugh only grew louder. "You look like something's bothering you. You're in some sort of pain, aren't you?" Again, Kuro didn't reply. "So, you're here to try to get Pit back, are you not?"

"I'm not leaving without him."

"Then I guess you're just not leaving," Mastema scoffed. "How could I possibly benefit from letting him go?" He smirked. "As long as I've got him, I've got a bargaining tool." Kuro blinked.

"You're a deal maker," he guessed, and Mastema's smile gave him his answer. "Then… perhaps a trade."

"A trade," Mastema repeated. "And what, pray tell, do you have to offer me?" Kuro swallowed.

"Me," he replied. "I stay, Pit is free. Do whatever you want to me. I won't fight back, as long as I know he's safe." His already sour mood only worsened as Mastema wholeheartedly doubled over with laughter.

"A-And what…" he asked as he caught his breath, "Would that do to benefit me? You're less than nothing! You're not even meant to exist!" Kuro's grip on his bow tightened as his rage burned brighter. "And Pit… well, you don't need me to remind you that he's a god- a god capable of defeating the lord of the Underworld himself. One that defeated gods even as a child. No, I'd rather keep close tabs on him." As if to add insult to injury, he yawned. "So, thanks. Now, if you don't have any other business, then you'd best leave before I decide to cage you too."

"Okay, okay," Kuro said quickly, and he took a deep breath as he wrestled with himself- his own well-being or Pit's safety? What mattered more to him? "Look. In combat itself, I'm his equal- the only difference is that he has the power of a god. I'm the best fighter in Skyworld." He could see interest sparking in Mastema's eyes. "Do whatever you want with me. I won't fight back. BUT only if you swear that you won't harm him. If I find that even a hair on his head is out of place, this is off."

"Well, that won't be easy," Mastema huffed, scratching his head. "His hair is a wreck."

"Not the point," Kuro grumbled. "So, what say you?" Mastema snorted as he pondered his words.

"I get to do whatever I want," he repeated, and Kuro nodded. "And you won't betray me, as long as no harm comes to your precious reflection." He smirked. "Well, I know not to refuse a good deal when I see it. You're on, little blackheart." Kuro scowled at him and held out his hand. "Ah, so you know how this works, eh?"

"I'm not taking your words at face value," Kuro replied. "I'm not that stupid. No, I'm not settling for anything less than a bind. Understand?"

"You're no fun," Mastema shrugged and approached him. "I'm gonna need one of your feathers."

"One of my what?" Kuro blinked. "Why?"

"Oh, you'll see!" the strange creature laughed, and Kuro sighed heavily as he plucked a feather from his wing.

"_Kuro! What are you doing?!" _a voice echoed through his head, and he quickly recognized it to be Nemo's.

_Still keeping tabs on me, huh? _He wondered silently. _Sorry. But I've got to make sure Pit is safe. _He again held out his hand, and Mastema watched him like a hungry vulture.

"There's no backing out of this," he warned the angel, who nodded. "Very well, then. Pleasure doing business with you." With that, he grabbed his charge's hand, and Kuro felt a sickening sensation race through his body, momentarily weakening him as he felt something collect around his hand that still held the feather. He swallowed as he fought to stay standing and focused his foggy gaze on the thing in front of him.

"Very good. Now, let's draw your friends out of hiding, shall we? And I think I know just how to stir up trouble." And with that, Kuro's immediate consciousness faded away as something else took hold of his body.


	21. Chapter XXI: Coming to Light

Pit groaned softly and opened his eyes. He found nothing but darkness around him as he sat on a black floor, yet he found he could see clearly. Light came from an unseen source, yet couldn't penetrate the infinite blackness that surrounded him. Strangely enough, he felt a presence behind him, sitting at his back, and he could feel long hair brushing against his shoulders. He looked himself over and found himself garbed in his black undershirt and shorts with a white, slightly tattered cloth belted around his waist with another clean one around his lower leg. He was barefoot, and quickly deduced that his wings were missing.

"It's been some time, hasn't it, Pit?" As soon as the voice reached his ears, he knew immediately who it was behind him.

"Lady Palutena…" he breathed, and some strange feeling in him told him he couldn't turn around. "What… what's going on?" "Some time" was an understatement. He hadn't spoken with her for nearly two hundred years.

"Something has sealed your soul, hasn't it?" He blinked and dug through his memory.

"Yeah," he finally replied. "Mastema appeared out of nowhere and tried to turn me against Nemo… The next thing I knew, I was trying to attack him and Kuro intervened… I… I hurt him." Guilt crashed over him. "But it's like something was controlling me. I felt like something was wrapped around me, and if I fought back against it, it just got tighter. Then… Nemo came at me, then… nothing." He paused. "Now, I'm here."

"Mastema…" She sounded lost in thought. "Pit, do you know much about him?"

"No," he answered. "Do you?"

"I wish I didn't," she sighed. "Mastema is, above all, the god of Space. He can manipulate objects and certain forms, though not if they're complicated beings save himself."

"Yeah…" Pit recalled. "When we tried to attack him, our strikes just passed right through him… So he can manipulate his own form?"

"Yes," Palutena confirmed.

"But… Kuro managed to hit him from behind with an arrow. How did it…"

"You have to catch him off guard," she explained. "Surprise him when he's tangible."

"But as soon as we hit him, he'll just turn…"

"You have to hit him with something that will block that ability," she continued. "That's how we defeated him."

"You fought him?" This was news to him. "When? Why? How?"

"Around the dawn of time," she took a deep breath and sighed gently. "It was the first and only time we had formed such a strong alliance. It was myself, Medusa, Hades, Dyntos, and Lord Aeon… among others, but that's what you need to know."

"You once allied with Hades? And… Lord Aeon? The god of Time?"

"Yes. It was the one time he has ever intervened in the affairs of the world. But we knew that Mastema was dangerous… he can also be considered the god of Chaos. The Chaos Kin itself was like an extension of him. He thrives on causing turmoil and throwing the Celestial Balance off. To leave him free was to eventually destroy the world. I mean…" she paused. "He couldn't completely destroy it- there would be no point. But existing would be that much more difficult, and it would be impossible to grow. No one, man or god, would want to live in a world that he controlled."

"So, you fought back? How?"

"Lord Aeon told us how to defeat him… to catch him by surprise. He and Dyntos managed to seal off his power, even if only temporary. Between the rest of us, we were able to defeat and imprison him in the Underworld- deep. We assured he couldn't escape- not on his own."

"Why didn't we know about this?" he wondered.

"I guess it never came up," she admitted. "But with Medusa's destruction, then when Nemo began his little crusade and destroyed Hades and when I…" she swallowed. "I suppose you could say no one was left who immediately guarded Mastema's prison. How he escaped is another story."

"That's it!" He nearly fell over with his shout of realization. "That's it! He captured Kuro and sent him to the Underworld, said he was a present for someone- part of a deal even. Kuro escaped and told me it was Pandora. You said he was the god of Chaos… she must have freed him."

"Chaos and Calamity go quite well together," Palutena agreed. "If anyone could free him, she could."

"Do you think we can seal him back again?"

"I'm sure you could, if you could surprise him with an attack that sealed his power. But you would only have one shot… and even then, he would still be a formidable opponent. But between you, Nemo, and Kuro, then I have faith you can defeat him."

"I couldn't surpass you, though," he said softly. "I'd feel a lot better if you were still around…"

"Pit…" she mumbled. "You've surpassed me in every way. I couldn't teach you anything more."

"I…" he felt his face warm. "I remember back when Kuro first came to Skyworld… He was teasing me, said I couldn't do anything until I became a god worthy of you…" He looked down and rested his hand against the ground. "And now, I have. But now you're gone… I…" He sighed. "I know I've gotten older, and I've changed."

"Here, you're not my servant," she agreed. "You are a god, and I am a goddess. We're equals."

"Lady Palutena…" He took a deep breath as he felt her hand rest over his. "Even if you had lived… I'd always be your servant. No matter what, you'd be my master, and I'd have to act accordingly." Silence fell over them both for several moments. "If you were still around, then I don't think I would have ever come to feel this way…" he let out a soft, slow breath. "The only way it could have possibly happened is if I became a god… but that would only happen if something stole you from Skyworld…" he lowered his voice to a nearly inaudible whisper. "From me…"

"It couldn't have happened, Pit…" he felt her hair move gently as she shook her head. "I'm sorry."

"No," he replied. "I'd trade everything if it meant having you back. That was my vow- I'd do anything, put everything on the line, to keep you safe. I'm sorry it wasn't enough."

"Pit… you upheld my last wish and you've become an amazing ruler in Skyworld. Thank you."

So, that's how it would be. Ever since the last time he'd seen her, when she'd said goodbye at the end of his training, he'd fallen to his knees and reached out for her, begging her to turn around so he could tell her about the strange feeling that had developed in his heart. He'd kept it bottled up for over two hundred years, telling himself it wasn't there, that it didn't exist. And he'd finally been able to tell her, only to come to the same conclusion as before: It was impossible.

"It will be time for you to return soon," she told him. "And I'm not sure what you're going to encounter. But I know you're capable of defeating Mastema."

"I'll do my best," he promised. There was a part of him, however, that didn't want to return to the world of reality. There was no fighting here, no enemies, no one threatening him or those he cared about. Here was a place, the only place, he could simply be alone with the one he cherished.

But he'd have to go back, save the world he'd worked so hard to protect, return to the others he cared about and watched over. And he would do so in a heartbeat.

"You'll be fine, Pit," she squeezed his hand gently. "I know you will." His heart ached at her words, but he felt a new determination burn within his core.

"Thank you, Palutena."


	22. Chapter XXII: Love

"_Okay," _Remiel's voice echoed as his flame-like form sped alongside Ephraim toward a nearby town. _"Exactly what are we doing, again?"_

"I want you to meet Adena," Ephraim replied. "Look, I'm freaked out. I don't know what happened to Lord Pit and your dad said that the Commander isn't coming back anytime soon. I guess I want to make sure she's alright."

"_I doubt Father is very happy about this," _Remiel grumbled. _"I know he's trying to think up a plan, but truth is that the odds are astronomically against us. The likelihood of us getting through this unscathed are-"_

"Tiny. I know," Ephraim huffed. "Look, you know what it's like to lose your family to this Mastema guy. Well, Lord Pit and Commander Kuro are like my family."

"_Then we should be back with Father, thinking up a plan!"_ Remiel insisted.

"Look, I won't be long, alright?!" Ephraim snapped. "I just… I can't shake it from my head. I just want to make sure she's okay. Given the situation, I figured you'd be supportive of my trying to find ONE thing in my life that hasn't been completely uprooted."

"_Thanks," _Remiel replied curtly. _"Glad to know I mean that much to you."_

"I didn't mean it like that, and you know it."

"_Seriously, what ARE you going to do about this girl? She's human. The two of you are from vastly different worlds. Whether Lord Pit knows about it or not-"_

"I don't CARE!" Ephraim yelled, silencing his friend. "I don't care. Fine, if he says I should just forget about her, then I will. But I can't explain it, Rem. I just feel drawn to her. Don't know why or how. I just am." They remained quiet for some time as they flew over the town.

"_Okay, okay," _Remiel finally sighed. _"I'm sorry I upset you. I didn't know how much this meant to you."_

"I wish I could explain it," Ephraim admitted. "But I really can't. And I'm sorry I snapped at you. You really are a good friend. I don't know what I'd do without you."

"_Let's hope we never have to find out."_

"Hear, hear." The angel glanced down toward the town below and smiled. "There! Down there by that channel. The little bridge. That's her- I think."

"_I think I see her," _Remiel agreed. _"Shall we?" _

"Yeah." Ephraim began circling down and raised his voice. "Adena!" The young woman below glanced around wildly for the source of the voice. "Up here!" She craned her neck upward and shielded her eyes from the sunlight, and waved at him a moment later. He dove down and flared his wings, landing on a rock next to the water, and Remiel joined him a moment later in his humanlike state of being.

"Ephraim?" The girl, Adena, smiled, brushing a lock of her brown hair behind her ear. "Is it really you?"

"I'd be worried if it wasn't," he teased, jumping off his rock. "Angels aren't exactly a common sight." She nodded and shifted her green gaze from him to his companion.

"So, who is this?" she wondered.

"This is my friend Remiel," he introduced. "Rem, this is Adena." Remiel held out his hand, and Adena shook it gently.

"It's a pleasure to meet you," the prince greeted. "Ephraim certainly wasn't exaggerating when he told me about you." Adena's cheeks flushed as she turned to the angel.

"Wh-what did you tell him?" she wondered, and he smiled sheepishly.

"Nothing but the truth," he replied. "And it's probably more embarrassing for me than it is for you." She blinked and returned his smile.

"So, what brings you two?" she asked, and Ephraim's smile faded. "Is everything okay? What's wrong?"

"There's… some trouble, I guess you could say," he sighed. "It's hard to explain. But we'll win the day yet, right, Rem?"

"We'll certainly try," Remiel agreed. "You've got a heck of a guardian angel here, Adena. He's tough to beat." If the flush on her face had faded before, it returned now.

"Yeah," Ephraim dipped his head. "You can count on me!"

"I'm glad to know that," she nodded. "Thank you, Ephraim."

"You don't have to thank me. I- What is it, Rem?" the angel inquired as Remiel suddenly stiffened and averted his gaze to the skies above, and his violet-red eyes widened before he lunged and knocked Adena to the ground heartbeats before a glowing arrow struck the ground where she'd been standing.

"Ow," she complained as he helped her to her feet. "What was that for?" Neither of the boys answered her as they both trained their gazes above, and panic shot down Ephraim's spine as his mind worked to process what he was seeing.

At first glance, it resembled an angel brandishing what appeared to be a Silver Bow. But this creature flew on dark, shadowy wings and was garbed in a black tunic and boots with sandals on the ends. He landed on the ground several paces away and looked up, directly at Adena, through a dulled red gaze partially masked by his black bangs.

Both Ephraim and Remiel blinked.

"_Just as I broke it, the Mirror created a flawed, even opposite clone of me- black hair, red eyes, dark clothes, and shadowy wings." _Pit's words sounded once again within the angel's mind, though disbelief threatened to silence them. It was impossible.

Or was it?

"C-Commander?" Ephraim beckoned, but this odd dark angel didn't acknowledge him. He lunged for Adena once again, and Remiel pulled her to the side again and positioned himself between her and her assailant as she stared at the newcomer in fear. Ephraim rushed forth and struck the dark angel in the side, finally gaining his attention.

"Get Adena out of here," he hissed at Remiel. "I'll handle this!" Remiel appeared to want to argue, but let it go and grabbed Adena's wrist before hurrying off.

"Is he going to be okay?!" she demanded, but Ephraim didn't hear his friend's answer. The strange one in front of him watched him through a dulled, nearly vacant gaze, but his features were otherwise the same. He had the same face as the god of Light, held the same battle stance as the Skyworld Army's Commander.

This was Kuro.

"What is WRONG with you?" Ephraim demanded as he sidestepped to position himself between his commander and the direction in which his companions had fled. "Commander Kuro! It's me, Ephraim! Snap out of it!" If Kuro was capable of replying, he chose not to. But it seemed Ephraim had captured his full attention, and he readied the bow he wielded. Ephraim dodged the arrow and countered with his own shot from his blade, but the dark angel ducked and lunged again. Ephraim blocked the bow with his blade and grit his teeth. "Lord Pit said you had fought tooth and nail to get away from this," he recalled. "What happened? Why are you doing this?!"

Kuro mumbled something that Ephraim could barely make out, like he was barely capable of speech, but it sounded like "The girl."

"Adena?" Ephraim sprung back as Kuro aimed one of his swords at the younger angel's abdomen. "If you've got an issue about her, take it out on me! She's done nothing wrong!" It seemed Kuro took his advice, and the dark angel sprinted forward and managed to slam straight into Ephraim, and his sword cut across the blue-eyed angel's chest as he fell back, stunned, and landed on his right shoulder with a thud and a crack. The cut itself wasn't deep, but blood still seeped from it and he quickly deduced that his shoulder was now basically useless. His brain commanded to stand back up and fight, but his body wasn't so quick to listen.

"Damn it, Kuro!" he heard someone call, and a strong blast of dark energy hit the commander before he could strike Ephraim again. The younger angel heaved himself back up and to his feet to find Nemo's smoldering gaze glaring at Kuro. "I swear, I am going to beat you to a pulp for being this stupid. How is this helping anything? What is this supposed to do for Pit?!" Again, Kuro didn't reply. "I really don't want to have to go back to calling you Pittoo. Do you want that? Is that satisfactory?" Ephraim turned back to his commander and thought he saw a flicker of irritation in his red eyes. But again, he didn't say anything.

Nemo sighed heavily and caught Kuro's arrow within a sphere of dark magic, then sent it flying back toward its source who took the brunt of the blow. But he remained standing, albeit an evident expression of pain on his face.

"Ephraim, stay back and see what you can do about your injuries. I'll handle this." The lord of the Underworld smirked darkly. "I'm pretty sure Kuro has been wanting to fight me ever since we met. It's about time he had his chance."

"Be careful," Ephraim cautioned and retreated, though he didn't go far. Nemo was strong and he knew it, but he worried about what exactly Kuro would do in his current state. The last thing he needed was to have to face Remiel after watching his friend's father fall in battle.

"Come on!" Nemo spat, summoning up a dark aura around his hands as his eyes burned. "You wanna fight? Then let's fight!" Kuro struck with no speed held back, and Nemo parried his blow. What he likely wasn't expecting, however, was a vicious kick to his abdomen, and the silver-haired god flew back and landed with a thud himself.

"Ooh…" Ephraim winced, aggravating his shoulder, as Nemo sat back up and rolled to the side before Kuro could follow up with another attack.

"One of these days, I'll manage to avoid that," Nemo grumbled and shot forth several blasts. But Kuro took to the air and dodged them, then dove back down and knocked Nemo back to the ground. Another strike of dark magic separated the two, and they were both panting heavily. Kuro again sprinted forth, and Nemo set himself into a defensive stance.

But a sudden bright stream of light cut the dark angel off, stopping him in his tracks as he, Nemo, and Ephraim, all turned to the source in shock.

"Levica!" Nemo choked, and Ephraim could see that he was fighting back tears. Levica smiled at him for a brief moment before turning her attention back to Kuro.

"I can take care of myself," she replied. "I'm an Oracle too, remember? I have power. I just choose not to use it unless I have to."

"Of course…" Nemo blinked back the water in his eyes, though they widened as the Oracle of Light approached Kuro. Ephraim wasn't sure what was more shocking; that she was taking such a risk, or that Kuro only stood there and showed no signs of hostility toward her. His dulled gaze watched her carefully, and he almost seemed upset.

"P…Pit…" He mumbled, and Levica smiled.

"That's right, Kuro," she nodded. "In a way, I'm a part of Pit, just as you are. And I can't imagine how upset he would be to see you like this." She took his free hand in both of hers as he looked down at it. "Poor thing. You made a bind with Mastema, didn't you? That should only be used as a last resort to assure some outcome or other… To think that you would go to such lengths to keep Pit safe." She caught his gaze and smiled once again. "I know you'd never admit it, but you really do love your brother dearly, don't you?" She looked down again as he shut his eyes. "You would do anything, be anything, to be certain that he would remain unharmed. I've never seen a stronger commitment to one you care about. But…" her hands tightened around his, and she took a deep breath. "You're not meant to be this way. As long as you remain like this, the Celestial Balance threatens to tip into chaos." She paused. "You won't suffer any longer, Kuro."

A strange light suddenly appeared from his hand and shattered away, and he staggered as his eyes regained focus. He stared blankly at the air in front of him for several silent moments before finally refocusing on her.

"Levica?" He looked down as she released his hand, and he stared at it curiously. "Wh… What happened? What did you do?"

"I freed you," she said simply. "Your deal with Mastema threatened the Balance that the Oracles are charged to protect. That is why I was able to break it." He blinked.

"But what about Pit?!" he demanded. "I made that deal to keep him safe! I-"

"Kuro, relax!" Levica cut him off. "Mastema thinks he has you under his control. Just keep that up until you can find a way to revive Pit." Kuro sighed, defeated, and nodded. Though a thought occurred to him, and he looked over himself in alarm before rage became apparent on his face.

"That good-for-nothing, scheming, piece of horse dung JERK!" he growled. "I am going to END HIM."

"Good," Nemo agreed as he approached. "Because we need to end him. But first, we need Pit back." Kuro's expression quickly became crestfallen, and he avoided the gazes of those around him.

"I can't face Pit like this," he said quietly. "After everything I've put him through, I… I just can't."

"He won't care," Ephraim spoke up. "He'll just be glad you're okay!" Kuro looked up at him, but didn't immediately reply.

"What happened to you? Your shoulder?" the commander asked, and Ephraim hesitated. That was apparently all the answer Kuro needed. "I… I'm sorry. Ephraim, I didn't mean to hurt you."

"I'll be fine," Ephraim assured him. "A good soak in a hot spring is all I need." Kuro nodded slowly.

"I gotta get back to Skyworld," he realized and turned to Levica. "Thank you. I swear that I'll save Pit and bring him back."

"I know you will," Levica dipped her head. "Good luck." He returned the gesture and took to the sky, quickly speeding out of sight above them.

About half a moment later, Nemo broke down and pulled Levica tight in his arms as his tears streamed down his face, and Ephraim lowered his head and took several steps back.

"Don't ever worry me like that again," the lord of the Underworld blubbered, and Levica held him close. "I'm so sorry. I should have stayed with you."

"You had more important things to do," she reminded him. "You were needed elsewhere. And we're together again and Remiel is safe, so there's nothing to worry about, right?"

"Right…" he didn't seem convinced, but he nodded and pulled back. "Just promise me that you won't scare me again!"

"I'll do my best." She smiled and kissed him briefly as he held her against him, and Ephraim could tell it would take quite a bit of convincing for him to let her go.

"I love you, Levica," he sobbed, bracing his forehead against her shoulder.

"I know," she replied. "And I love you."

* * *

**Author's Note: **I'm SO sorry about the wait, but I've been busy with other parts of life lately. In case anybody cares, I turned 18 years old yesterday.

Anyway, I'll try to get back on a relatively consistent schedule of updating R3, but we'll see.

Also, just saying, when Levica notices that Kuro "love[s his] brother dearly," it's just that- as a brother, as family. I don't write yaoi, and especially not twincest. Or selfcest depending on how you look at it.


	23. Chapter XXIII: Brothers

Kuro returned to Skyworld in silence, disgusted with the way he now looked as he tried to bury his desire to tear Mastema apart. Guilt and anger raged like stormy seas within him, and he cursed himself for making such a rash decision. He'd never admit that Nemo had been right, but telling himself so was nothing more than a lie. He sighed as he landed in Skyworld and tried his best to look like an animated puppet with no sense of free will.

Around him, his home was slowly falling apart as Mastema did as he liked with it, breaking and rearranging the buildings and structures that made up the main area. Brainwashed Centurions flitted about with little attention for their Commander, and it seemed they were on patrol- for what, Kuro wasn't certain. To his surprise, several Underworld troops were flying around the area as well, and he again swallowed back the anger surfacing in his system.

"Ah, Kuro!" He almost jumped as Mastema appeared out of nowhere next to him. "Had a run-in with Nemo, eh?" The strange one laughed darkly. "Don't worry too much about it. We caught their attention, and that's what matters." Kuro said and did nothing as Mastema smacked his shoulder like they were long-time friends. "That dark look suits you so much better than the whole white getup, you know that?" He sighed. "Whatever. Go rest up while I decide your next move." He wandered off, leaving Kuro in the dust of his thought process. The angel sighed heavily once he was away and turned his attention to the Skyworld Temple.

"I'm coming," he mumbled and set course for it, staying away from the nearby patrollers that may stop him for either a chat or an interrogation. The last thing he clearly remembered was making his deal with Mastema, and the rest had been a dark blur until he'd found himself staring at Levica. He recalled nothing about what he'd been doing in between and didn't even know exactly how much time had passed, nor how he'd acted during that time.

He reached the temple and glanced around warily, but nothing made any move to stop him as he entered and made his way down the main hall. He turned right at the gate chamber and continued down the corridor until he reached a room at the end, and he entered carefully. What he found inside made his heart sink.

A lifeless Pit sat with his back against the wall, his wings drooping and ragged behind him. He was pale and limp, his eyes closed and his mouth slightly agape. His hands hung between his legs, and just in front of him was a single white feather. Kuro blinked, curious as to what it was doing there, and he walked over and picked it up gently. Strangely enough, it seemed to glow softly and he could sense something strange about it. But he shook his head and turned his attention back to his unconscious twin.

"Sorry about the wait," he mumbled and placed his hand gently against Pit's chest. It wasn't the first time he'd performed such a feat, to return his twin's part of their soul after holding onto it for some time himself, but it was far from easy. He took a deep breath and focused on the pain in his chest, willing it to dull, to disappear, to separate.

And after mentally exhausting him, it did. An odd light appeared from that pain and spread quickly to Pit, gone almost as quickly as it had shown up. Kuro withdrew his hand and sat down with a plop as he tried to recover himself, and he watched his twin carefully until Pit stirred slightly and his eyes opened slowly.

His eyes flew wide and he fell over before scrambling back to his feet, and Kuro jumped up in alarm as the god of Light took a shaky defensive stance.

"Pit, calm down!" the red-eyed angel demanded, and after observing him a moment longer, Pit complied. He straightened back up, though his eyes were wary, and guilt again took hold of Kuro's heart.

"…Kuro?" Pit asked carefully, and he nodded.

"What's left of him," he replied rather curtly. The caution in Pit's eyes quickly became sympathy, and Kuro winced.

"What happened?" the god wondered, and Kuro sighed.

"Mastema happened. I… Maybe you're influencing me more than I thought. I made a deal with him that he could use me as long as I knew you were safe. But Levica broke it."

"Levica is okay?" Kuro nodded. "Good. I'm sure that's a relief for Ne…mo…" Kuro watched his twin curiously as Pit seemed to lose himself in thought, and guilt became evident on his face. "Agh, I'm such an IDIOT!" He looked down, massaging his forehead. "Kuro… I'm so sorry. I hope you'll forgive my mistake…"

"What mistake?" Kuro blinked, and Pit looked up at him again.

"I hurt you, attacked Nemo… You were just trying to stop me. I don't know what came over me, but… It was wrong. I felt like something was- But Mastema, and- Nemo was- I- Palutena!"

That last name caught Kuro completely off guard, let alone that Pit had referred to the former goddess by her name and without her title. They stood there in silence for several moments.

"Okay, slow down," Kuro said after a while. "Start over, explain, and try to take it one thought at a time."

"Right," Pit nodded. "Okay. Before… I'm going to assume Nemo stole my soul or something."

"Yeah," Kuro confirmed. "I've been holding onto it."

"Thanks. But anyway, before that, I felt like Mastema was controlling me somehow. I don't know why, but… Anyway. When I was unconscious, I guess… I spoke with Lady Palutena." Kuro blinked.

"Okay, go on? What did she say?"

"She told me a little about Mastema," Pit continued. "Apparently, he's the god of Space and, to a lesser extent, Chaos. Back around the start of time, she, Medusa, and Hades had allied with a bunch of other gods of the time to seal him in the Underworld. But since all three of them are gone… The seal on him was weakened and Pandora broke it. We can beat him if we can somehow seal off his power and capture him, but I have no idea whatsoever on how to do that." Kuro nodded.

"I see. I suppose the first order of business should be to get out of here," he pointed out. "Mastema has total control of Skyworld right now. I think he managed to brainwash some of the Centurions or something."

"Great," Pit sighed. "But yeah. Is Nemo okay? What about Ephraim?"

"Ephraim is with him and Remiel," Kuro replied. "They're fine, last I checked."

"Good. Okay, so we'll go find them and figure out a new plan." Pit chuckled. "Shouldn't be too hard, right?" Kuro snorted, but smiled. "First thing's first, though. Why are you holding that feather?" The red-eyed angel looked down and, sure enough, found he was still holding it tight in his hand.

"I don't know," he admitted. "It was here when I woke you up. There's something weird about it."

"Can I see it?" Kuro nodded and handed it over, and Pit studied it carefully. "Huh. If I didn't know better, I would say this was yours."

"What do you- Wait." His meeting with Mastema came rushing back to him. "Mastema said he needed one of my feathers when we made our deal. I didn't know why, but…"

"I've got a wild guess," Pit smiled. "Let's see if I can do this." He shut his eyes and took a deep breath with the feather held tight in his hands. After a moment, he held it out again. "Here." Kuro took it again, confused, before he felt something surge through him that briefly disoriented him. But when his mind cleared, he looked himself over- white clothes, his usual brown boots, and when he looked over his shoulder, he found pure white wings.

"How the heck did you do that?!" he demanded, turning his exasperated expression back to his grinning twin.

"I don't really know how to explain it, but the best way to is that Mastema cursed you," Pit explained. "I think. He locked your true self in that feather and manipulated you into… well, the way you were before. I just unlocked it. But here's the thing." His smile faded, to Kuro's concern. "I can't completely break it- not right now, anyway. But if you keep that feather on you somehow, then no one should know the difference." He pulled his belt off and tore a strip from it before replacing it around his waist. "Can I see it for a second?"

Kuro hesitantly complied, and the moment the feather left his fingers, another strange surge that almost made him sick moved through his body and left him in his dark form. Pit tied the feather to the strip and looped it, then placed it around his twin's neck. Once he let it go, Kuro again returned to his true state of being.

"Okay, okay, enough!" he demanded, woozy. "I can't take another change. It's making me ill."

"Then don't lose that feather!" Pit teased. "Unless you want to be cursed. Then I'll just tell everybody to start calling you Pittoo again." Kuro glared at him, only earning laughter.

"I will personally destroy you if you do anything of the sort," he replied flatly, and Pit grinned again.

"Then don't give me any reason to. Anyway, let's get out of here and find Nemo." Kuro nodded and Pit summoned his bow. "Where's your weapon, anyway?"

"Good question," Kuro sighed. "I don't know." Pit frowned.

"Okay. Then I've got one quick stop to make." They hurried out of the room and down the corridor, now going to the left of the gate chamber, and they descended a staircase.

"Getting the Treasures?" Kuro guessed as he followed Pit into the room where they kept them. Pit nodded as he broke through the false wall and opened the chest behind it, pulling out the Winged Bow and the clasp containing the Orichalcum Armor.

"Here," he tossed Kuro's bow to him, and he caught it with a smile. "You still have the Energy Shield, right?"

"Yeah," he nodded and held up his wrist. "Ready to go?"

"Yep." They hurried back out and up to the gate chamber.

"I wonder why Mastema hasn't come after us yet," Kuro noticed. "I haven't run into any of his lackeys."

"Mastema is confident," Pit replied. "And rightfully so. If he knows we're here, he probably just doesn't care."

"Maybe," Kuro agreed. "Let's just get out of here before he changes his mind." Pit nodded and pointed his staff at the Gate, and both he and his twin launched themselves into the air before it had even fully opened.


	24. Chapter XXIV: Old Friends

Somewhere in the world, or nearby it, was a large dome that served as the workshop of the god of the Forge. Within, Dyntos worked on his projects throughout time, developing new weapons and other objects to see what he was capable of creating. Never did he disappoint.

The old god looked up from one of his current projects and scowled, though he grinned as well.

"Who's got the nerve to come bother me?" he inquired, and he made his way to the entrance of his workshop. What he found, however, surprised him.

"It's been a long time, my friend." The visitor was also an old-looking god, garbed in royal blue robes tied with a robe around his waist, and wore no shoes. He had a long, neat, gray beard and was balding, though his eyes sparkled with the light of youth. He held a staff in one hand with the other bent around his back, and the staff itself bore an hourglass with swirling golden sand inside.

"Well, well!" Dyntos chuckled. "Quit playing games. Time means nothing to you, eh, Aeon?"

"Time is everything to me," Aeon replied with a smile. "I just perceive it differently than you."

"Yeah, whatever," Dyntos shrugged. "Didn't think I'd see you again. What're you doing here?"

"I'm sure you know that Mastema has gotten free," Aeon began, and Dyntos nodded. "He must be sealed again. Dyntos, my friend, I'll need you to step up again and forge a weapon capable of hindering his power."

"Need me, eh?" Dyntos snorted. "And who'll be the one using that weapon?"

"I think you know," Aeon said. "Pit is capable of defeating him if he is given the means to do so."

"I'd ask how you could be so sure, but I guess you know everything, huh?" Aeon smiled and shook his head.

"The future is never written in stone," he reminded the god of the Forge. "And Mastema cannot be killed. But if he is to be sealed back, then Pit must be the one to fight. He and his reflection are two of the strongest fighters this world has ever known. Between the two of them, Nemo, and Viridi's forces, they'll have a force strong enough to overwhelm our enemy. But they'll need a weapon powerful enough to seal back his power in order to beat him." Dyntos shut his eyes as he considered Aeon's words.

"I should be able to do that," he agreed. "And I guess I'll have to if it means the fate of the world. I don't want to deal with that freak anyway. So, is it a done deal? If I do this for them, they'll win?"

"As long as Pit lands the shot, yes. Mastema will fall once more, and I cannot see any sign of his escape in the near future."

"Define 'near,'" Dyntos requested skeptically.

"Roughly the next thousand years," Aeon laughed, and Dyntos grinned.

"I like that number!" he laughed. "Alright, old man. You've got a deal."

"Hey, hey, you're just as old as me!" Aeon reminded his friend. "But I appreciate this, Dyntos. This will change the world for the better, at least among the gods."

"Good," Dyntos nodded. "That's a big step. Much as that Nemo kid drives me crazy, he's kept things pretty calm since he came into power."

"That was not his intended path, but he has done a remarkable job despite that," Aeon agreed. "Time is not a straight line. Though it will always try to follow its intended path, it is not impossible to change its course."

"I see," Dyntos remarked. "But defeating Mastema is the biggest step to changing that path, huh?"

"Yes," Aeon confirmed. "So I suggest you get to work. The sooner they can strike, the better off they'll be."

"Right. Thanks for the warning." Dyntos turned to head for his Forge, but he stopped and turned to his visitor curiously. "You know what I'm going to ask, don't you?"

"I do not," Aeon replied. "I watch the flow of time, but I choose not to pay attention to specifics unless necessary. Beyond that, I actually have no way of seeing my own interactions with others, given my nature. I am not to interfere unless absolutely needed."

"Huh." Dyntos crossed his arms and stared at the god of Time. "Okay, old man. There's one thing you've been cryptic about, and I want to know."

"Then ask me. I will answer your question as best I can." Dyntos frowned.

"Much as I don't know why I'm crafting anything for him anymore, even I gotta admit that Pit is a good kid. So, answer me this." He paused. "Is he going to survive the battle?" Aeon shut his eyes and didn't immediately reply.

"As I said, the future is not written in stone," he began. "I have seen several possible outcomes of their battle, and I'm not sure which is the most likely to occur. There is a chance that Pit will return unscathed, but… I personally do not believe this to be what will truly happen. And, to more specifically answer your question, there is a chance that defeating Mastema will also mean sacrificing his own life. But I know that he will do so without hesitation." Dyntos didn't reply for some time.

"I see," he finally acknowledged. "Guess I just have to trust he'll pull through. He's beaten Hades twice, not to mention Medusa and everything else he's been through. If anyone can pull this off, he can."

"Right," Aeon nodded. "What comes from the battle, we'll simply have to wait and see."

"Then I'll get started on a way to lock that little creep up. See you around, Aeon." He turned and headed off quickly, and Aeon sighed heavily.

"I've watched you with great interest over the years, Pit. You were never intended to become the god of Light. But you're performed beyond anyone's expectations and devoted yourself to peace." He stayed silent for several moments longer. "It would be a great loss if you were to fall. I wish you the best of luck, and may fate be in your favor." He disappeared from Dyntos's workshop, bound for his sanctum on the edge of time.


	25. Chapter XXV: United

After a relatively short flight, the brothers slowed down as Pit spotted Nemo and- to his relief- Levica below. The Oracles looked up and Levica waved as they landed, and Pit smiled and dipped his head.

"I'm glad you're both safe," he greeted as they both stood and approached him.

"Likewise," Nemo replied. "And Kuro, you're looking a lot better. Having him back is a load off your mind, isn't it?"

"You have no idea," Kuro agreed. "Where are the boys?" Pit glanced around at the question, but neither Ephraim nor Remiel were in sight. Nemo sighed.

"Ephraim was worried sick about Adena, so he's off making sure she's okay. And Rem is making sure he doesn't do anything stupid."

"Adena…" Pit crossed his arms and lowered his head in thought. "That human girl he's had his eye on?" He let out a heavy sigh himself. "I don't know what to do about it. There's really no way anything could ever flourish between them, but he seems so happy." He paused and shut his eyes. "Not that it isn't awkward for me to see the reincarnation of my father chasing after someone."

"Can you blame him?" Pit looked up to find Nemo with a rather amused smile on his face. "They say two souls are joined together in marriage, 'til death do they part and so on. But I guess some people just don't listen to that last part, and their bond traverses lifetimes." Pit blinked.

"What do you mean?" he wondered, and Kuro snorted behind him as if he'd already figured it out.

"I mean Ephraim is the reincarnation of your father, as you know," Nemo continued. "In that sense, Adena is Helen, Pit. Your mother. I finally decided it was time to return her soul to the living world. But I never expected this!"

"Wait… so… Ephraim and Adena are my parents?" Pit repeated, and Nemo nodded. "W…Wow. Even after death and rebirth, they're still drawn to each other… that's amazing."

"Even in the short time I knew them, I could tell their bond was strong," Kuro spoke up. "There was something special there. And maybe it was needed for them to face losing their son for so long."

"Perhaps," Pit mumbled darkly.

"But that doesn't change that Adena is human and Ephraim is an angel," Nemo pointed out. "However, we've got other things to worry about now."

"Right, about that," Pit sighed again. "I'm sorry, Nemo. I never meant to attack you. That was wrong of me."

"I knew it wasn't you," Nemo smiled. "Don't worry about it. I accept your apology." Pit dipped his head. "But that just proves that we have to find a way to bring an end to Mastema."

"_Tell me about it!" _The four gathered there looked around at the sound of the voice, and Pit smiled as he recognized it. _"That jerk totally decimated my home!" _

"Even the great and powerful Viridi couldn't escape his reach, huh?" Nemo joked, and the ground under them shook as Pit turned to see Cragalanche approaching them with Viridi sitting on his head, looking none too pleased. Following behind her were Arlon and Phosphora along with a hanful of Nutskis.

"Oh, shut up," Viridi scoffed as she slid off her rocky servant's head and landed lightly on the ground. "I still don't believe that you're not responsible!" Nemo held his hands up and shook his head.

"He imprisoned me and my partner, threatened my son, and took over the Underworld. Trust me, I have nothing to do with his escape." Viridi scowled at him, but didn't continue the argue.

"So, he attacked your palace?" Pit inquired, nodding to Phosphora and Arlon as he approached the goddess of Nature. She turned to him and sighed heavily.

"At first, I thought it was the two of you ganging up on me," she grumbled. "Your weird new Underworld troops and some Centurion Knights. Which, Kuro, I commend you've done a pretty decent job whipping them into shape."

"Literally," Pit added, and Kuro smirked with his arms crossed.

"They're still not where I want them to be," the commander acknowledged. "But they're sort of getting better. But the Underworld and our troops, huh?"

"Yes," she confirmed. "And they were definitely working together."  
"Your stupid revamps are such a pain in the neck!" Phosphora complained, glaring at Nemo, and he laughed.

"Quality over quantity," he said simply. "They're not as dumb as Hades's troops."

"ANYway," Pit interrupted. "Viridi, please. Continue." She rested her staff on the ground with her free hand on her hip and nodded.

"So, yes. As Phosphora was saying, they overwhelmed us. I called Arlon in to help, and that's when that Mastema guy decided to show up. And yeesh, he grinds my nerves more than the three of you combined!"

"I'll take that as a compliment," Kuro mumbled.

"Phosphora and I attempted to shield Mistress Viridi from whatever that foul creature was going to do," Arlon explained, "But anything we attempted to do simply passed through him. He claimed he was taking the palace, and we simply could not jeopardize the Mistress's safety."

"So we ran with our tails between our legs," Phosphora grumbled, crossing her arms. "I'd LOVE to fry that freak."

"We all do," Pit agreed. "But that means he's got everything: Underworld, Overworld, and Skyworld. If we don't do something soon, then we're not going to have another chance."

"Do we even have a chance now?" Nemo inquired. "I'm not suggesting we simply surrender- that isn't really an option. But how do you expect us to fight him? We've all tried and failed."

"I know," Pit let out a heavy breath. "But I can't just accept that there's nothing we can do."

"That's the spirit, Lord Pit!" He looked up to find Ephraim and Remiel joining them from the skies. "I'm glad you're okay. And you too, Commander!"

"How's your shoulder?" Kuro wondered, and Pit, on closer inspection, could seen that it had been bruised and scratched up rather badly. Ephraim winced, but shook his head.

"Better. Rem treated it a little. It's kind of sore, but I can use it again."

"Good." With that, Kuro dropped the subject, and Pit could see traces of guilt on his face.

"Well, we're all here now," Nemo noticed. "Viridi, do you have any troops left?"

"I'm sure I could get some of my squads stationed around the world to come and help out, but what's the point?" she asked harshly. "I'd just be sending them to a slaughter."

"I was just asking," Nemo replied. "I've got some leftovers too, as long as Mastema hasn't gotten to them yet."

"And I think some of the Centurions are still on our side," Kuro recalled. "Not to mention that we've got Ephraim." Ephraim smiled sheepishly and scratched his head.

"Then we've got soldiers," Nemo pointed out. "Plus competent commanders. But the issue is Mastema himself." Pit blinked as Kuro nudged him with his elbow, gaining his attention.

"You wanna tell them what Lady Palutena talked to you about?" he asked, though it sounded more like an urging than a question.

Pit felt his face warm as the attention of every other being gathered there zeroed in on him, and he suddenly felt very small.

"What about Palutena?" Nemo wondered, and Pit met his gaze steadily.

"While my soul was apart from my body, I had a dream or something, I guess. And she told me about him." He took a deep breath. "Mastema is a god- the god of Space, and apparently Chaos."

"So he's Lord Aeon's counterpart," Viridi realized. "Since he's the god of Time and Order."

"Right," Pit nodded. "But Mastema… apparently he once nearly took over the world like he is now. Lady Palutena joined forces with Medusa, Hades, and Lord Dyntos among others. Apparently it was the largest alliance in our history. And it's the one time Lord Aeon ever directly interfered with the flow of time. They managed to defeat Mastema and seal him in the Underworld, where's been ever since. But when Lady Palutena and Hades were both destroyed, the seal weakened, and I'm guessing that Pandora broke it and freed him."

"Great," Viridi sighed. "So now we know the history behind it all. But how does that help us now?"

"Lady Palutena said we have to find a way to weaken him and seal his power so he can't just become intangible. And even after that, he'll be a tough opponent. And we can't kill him. We have to seal him away again."

"Then how the heck do we do that?" Remiel wondered. "None of us have that kind of power, do we?" And, as if like an answer, a humorous laugh echoed around them.

"_No, but I can help you!" _

"Wah!" With several voices calling after him, Pit found himself pulled into a blinding shaft of light. Once his feet reached solid ground again, he blinked, disoriented, until his vision cleared to reveal the strange towers and platforms of Dyntos's workshop. He turned to find the old god laughing behind him, bracing himself against his giant hammer.

"Well, if it isn't ol' Pitty," Dyntos grinned, and Pit dipped his head. "Glad you made it."

"You didn't exactly give me an option," he smiled. "But what do you need?"

"It's not what I need, sonny. It's what YOU need!" Dyntos went on. "Aeon came to me and told me to make you a weapon that can beat Mastema. Well, I decided I'm done making you weapons!" The hopes Pit had accumulated quickly fell apart, and he looked down. "Oh, don't look so sour! Just give me your bow. The one Palutena gave you." Pit hesitantly summoned his bow and handed it to the god of the Forge, and Dyntos brought forth some sort of strange light from behind his back in his free hand. "This ought to do nicely." Within seconds, he fused the light into the bow and returned it to its owner. "That old thing has seen you through some tough times, eh?"

"It certainly has, Lord Dyntos," Pit agreed. "I trust it more than any other weapon."

"Palutena did a fine job crafting it. Almost as good a job as me!" the old god laughed. "I hope it gets you through this too, sonny. You have one shot, understand? That's what I just put in there."

"And if I hit Mastema with it, it will seal his power?" Pit asked, and Dyntos's lack of an immediate answer worried him.

"It'll weaken him so he can't just make himself intangible," he explained. "But then it'll be up to you to actually win the battle with him and seal him in the Underworld. I'll fix up his cell from there."

"I understand," Pit dipped his head again. "Thank you, Lord Dyntos. You've given us a fighting chance."

"Eh. You've grown on me, Pitty. I like you. But don't mess it up! If you do and Mastema doesn't skin you, then I will!"

"Noted!" Pit laughed. "I don't plan on losing this fight. The only thing that will stop me will be death itself."

"That's what I want to hear," Dyntos chortled. "You've grown up, Pit. A far cry from that scrappy, rude little angel that came to me all those years ago! You make for a fine god yourself."

"Thank you, Lord Dyntos," Pit said again. "Now… would you be so kind as to point me back home? I'm still not sure exactly how to get from here to there."

"On it." With that, Dyntos snapped his fingers, and the same light from before again enveloped the god of Light and sent him back to his companions in the blink of an eye.


	26. Chapter XXVI: Strategy

It seemed that, by the time Pit had returned, his companions still hadn't thought up a plan of action regarding his sudden disappearance. Nemo and Viridi were arguing over what to do with Mastema while Ephraim was trying to quiet Kuro's bellowing bloody murder at whoever the culprit was and keep the commander from flying off into the blue- again- to find the god.

And it also seemed that Dyntos had known about this, as he dropped Pit a short distance away instead of right in the middle of it all. The blue-eyed god smiled in amusement and walked back over to the group, bow still in hand.

"Well, great!" Viridi was saying. "Mastema heard us planning and decided to get rid of him, huh? Now what?"

"I don't know," Nemo admitted. "We'll just have to hope he finds his way out. You should know as well as anyone that Pit is tough to keep down."

"Commander," Ephraim beckoned all the while. "Calm down! I'm sure he's fine."

"'Fine' nothing!" Kuro replied in a loud voice. "That freak probably thinks he's done enough by now. Pit could be dead for all we know!"

"Actually, we'd probably know," Nemo pointed out. "Well, you'd know, anyway. Wouldn't you be able to sense a change in the state of your soul?" This didn't appear to console Kuro to any degree.

"Maybe, maybe not. But I don't want to wait around to find out. We can't do this without him, and Mastema probably knows that. All the-" And that's when Pit decided to make his presence known.

"Aw, Kuro, you really do care!" he teased, holding his bow behind his back as he stepped forward, silencing those around him. Kuro blinked and stared at him.

"Well, of course he does," Levica agreed with a smile. "He loves you, Pit. You're a brother to him. And even he can't deny it." But by the gods, he was going to try.

"Hey! I'm looking after my own skin and the god of Light! We'd all be in trouble if something happened to him, me most of all. And Lady Palutena told me to keep him safe before she… yeah." He frowned, and Pit smiled.

"Yeah, I love you too, Brother." Kuro again glared at him, but said nothing else. "Anyway, you can all stop worrying so much. It wasn't Mastema that nabbed me- it was Dyntos." Blank, blinking stares watched him for several moments before a group "Oh" rippled through them. "And he fixed up my bow a bit." He brought it forward and smiled. "He said he charged a shot to it that will weaken Mastema if he gets hit with it so he can't just disappear. It'll keep him solid, so we can fight him. But I've only got one shot, otherwise it's pointless."

"So we'll have to find a way to hit him with it. And even getting there will be an issue since he's got the basic strength of all three of our armies," Nemo pointed out. "Plus Pandora and anyone else that he may have recruited."

"I'll handle her," Kuro spoke up, his arms crossed. "It's time she and I settled this once and for all."

"No," Pit disagreed, earning a surprised stare from his twin. "I don't want you focusing only on that. You're arguably Skyworld's best warrior- no offense, Ephraim." Ephraim raised his hands and smiled.

"There's a reason he outranks me, Lord Pit!" he agreed. "I still can't beat him in a fight."

"Regardless, I'll need both of you at the forefront of whatever it is we decide to do. Not just focusing on one target." Kuro frowned, but nodded.

"That then leads us to who will actually be fighting Mastema," Nemo continued. "Who's leading this entire operation? Whoever it is will probably be the one in the final fight, and we'll need to craft our plans around that. So-"

"Oh, come on, Nemo!" Viridi scoffed. "Is that really even a question? Much as I hate to say it, who's the one person here that's actually worth leading this?" Nemo blinked.

"I know, Viridi. There's only one among us who none of the rest of us have ever managed to beat in a fight. Even his own twin." His gaze fell on Pit, who felt his face warm. He turned to find Viridi watching him as well.

"Well, Pit? You think you're up for it? You're the one that'll have to hit Mastema in the first place. Might as well be you that beats him." Pit smiled and nodded.

"Thank you, Viridi. And I know that'll mean that victory or defeat is on my shoulders. But I'm kind of used to that." He shook his head. "Mastema has proven in the past that he's more powerful than anyone I've faced before- Medusa, Hades, even you, Nemo. Even if I can hit him in the first place, it'll still be a difficult battle. So I have to ask." His gaze scanned those around him, and he swallowed his fears and concerns as best he could to put on a brave face. "Are you all really okay with following my command?" There was a short silence before voices began to speak up.

"That's my duty, Lord Pit," Ephraim assured him. "And beyond that, I'll follow you to any end." Kuro smirked and nodded in agreement.

"You're a pain in the neck," Phosphora remarked, "But that's just because you're a heck of a force to be reckoned with. And I want to fry those traitors. So as long as you let me do that, then I'm good!"

"Indeed," Arlon agreed. "Master- rather, Lord- Pit, you've certainly proven yourself and gained Mistress Viridi's trust and affection. I will follow you as long as she allows it."

"Can it, lunatic!" Viridi barked, her face flushing, and Pit blinked.

"Anyway," Nemo chuckled. "Pit, I've already told you that I would follow your command if it came to war. Though our opponent may have changed, that vow stays true." Pit nodded.

"And I'll do the best I can," Remiel agreed. "Both under Father and you, Lord Pit. You have my trust and respect."

"And anyway, you'll have Cragalanche too," Viridi shrugged. "And he finally fixed that little problem on his rear. So he won't be going down easily!" Cragalanche remained as stone-silent as usual, and Viridi turned to him. "Right, Craggy? You'll do what Pit tells you, right? Good." Pit smiled and looked around again, his heart aching to think that there were faces around him that he may not see again after the battle.

"Then," he summoned his staff in his right hand with his bow held in his left, and rested its end on the ground. "We're going to need a battle plan. This isn't just going to be us against Mastema- we're fighting the combined might of the three major armies of the immortal world. And no matter our skill, even we can't keep fighting against wave after wave of enemies without end. We're going to need all our resources to win the day. First, we'll need to choose our battlefield wisely. Somewhere we can keep reinforcements back and isolate Mastema. I don't know how well I'll be able to fight him if I've got others keeping him company."

"What about that mountain pass where you fought Hades? Near the sea?" Viridi suggested. "We could meet his forces on the shore and the reinforcements can keep back in the valley. You could get Mastema down to that peninsula and fight him there. You'd be surrounded by water on three sides."

"Perfect," Pit agreed, and he used the end of his staff to start scratching out a basic map of the area- the mountains, the shore, the sea, and the peninsula. "So, best scenario would be that I fight him here." He drew an X on the peninsula's largest point. "But we'll have to start our attack from back in the mountains." He sighed as he thought over the options. "I'm thinking we divide our forces into two waves- a first strike and reinforcements. We'll have a platoon from all three of our armies headed by a commander in each that will go out to meet the main force of whatever Mastema throws at us and, if need be, take Pandora out."

"So this will have to be the bulk of our strength," Nemo realized. "To deal with that first blow and with her."

"Right," Pit nodded. "Kuro, I want you to lead the Skyworld Army, alright?" Kuro nodded. "Just promise me you won't let vengeance cloud your judgment. Only fight Pandora if she comes after you, understand?"

"I know, I know," Kuro agreed with a sigh. "Don't worry. I'll keep my attention on the overall fight."

"Good." The god of Light turned his attention to Nemo and Viridi. "Who do you want at command?"

"Phosphora?" Viridi turned to the Lightning Flash, who nodded and cracked her fingers. "Good. You'll take my Children, then."

"Can't wait," Phosphora grinned. "I'll be at full charge. Just you wait!"

"And you, Nemo?" Pit asked, though Nemo seemed crestfallen. And once he processed the reasons why, Pit felt a wave of sympathy for him. Nemo had lost everything to Mastema save his family and a handful of troops. He didn't have the extra commander to give.

"I'll do it," Remiel volunteered. "I'm their prince, anyway. And I'll fight for my homeland and the earth itself." Concern and fear made itself apparent on Nemo's face, but he didn't protest. He didn't have that luxury.

"Then Kuro, Phosphora, Remiel, listen up. Rem, I want your troops in the center of the pass, coming out from the valley. Kuro, flank at the top right. Phosphora, top left." He scratched out the battle plan on his makeshift map, drawing lines on the sides of the valley toward the sea. "That way, Rem's forces can't be ambushed from above. Fight on land and in the air as you see necessary. And Kuro, PLEASE make sure you've got your armor, alright?"

"What, you think I'm an idiot?" Kuro rolled his eyes. "I know. I'll be fine."

"I know," Pit sighed. "I just don't want to see anything happen to you- any of you," he added, scanning those around him. "Victory won't mean anything if you're all lost."

"We know, Pit," Viridi said, uncharacteristically softly in an attempt to comfort him. "We're all aware of what we're facing. But we'll win, dang it! Er… you'll win. I'm not much of a fighter."

"I know," Pit nodded again. "Don't worry. I think we'll manage." He looked back up, then down to his map. "So once they're out, I'll give a signal to have the second, smaller wave move from the sides- no direct strike. Ephraim, that's where you'll come in." Ephraim dipped his head. "You'll lead another team of Centurions, probably mostly Archers and Strongarms. The Knights will probably be, for the most part, with Kuro's group. And Arlon, should I assume you'll take command of the Forces of Nature?"

"It'd be a pleasure," Arlon agreed. "We'll trounce these fools."

"Then you'll take command, but I want Cragalanche to fight from the ground," Pit added. "That way, you can focus on the air." He turned his attention to Nemo. "And am I right to assume you'll head the Underworld Army?"

"Right," Nemo agreed.

"Then I want you to command the second group. Arlon, Ephraim, you can give your teams orders as you see fit, but I want you to follow what he tells you, okay?"

"How come?" Nemo wondered, and Pit smirked- not unlike his twin- as he looked down at the map and pointed to the X.

"I need you to keep Mastema's attention. Don't attack him or put him on the defensive, or this entire plan is moot. But distract him so I can slip around and hit him from behind. I also want you nearby in case he does have lackeys nearby." He looked down and his gaze lost focus. "I could tell from what Lady Palutena said that Mastema is going to take everything I've got. I can't have anything else to distract me. And once I beat him, I'll need you to seal him back in his cell in the Underworld. Apparently Dyntos will help you with that."

"Understood," Nemo acknowledged. "Don't worry. I'll keep 'em off you." Pit smiled and nodded his thanks. But before he could continue, a plume of flame suddenly erupted in the trees nearby, singing several branches and catching their leaves on fire. Pit's heart jumped and panic momentarily rendered him frozen before he pointed his staff forward, and the gods and commanders present set themselves for battle.

"And what are we supposed to do?" the source of the flame laughed as he emerged from the smoke. "Sit home and watch?"

"By the gods, Onore," Unda scolded as she set to work extinguishing his work. "Can't you ever just say you're here?" It took the group several moments of processing before they relaxed, and Pit forced a smile.

"Glad you could join us," he greeted as Vis blew away the smoke. "All of you." The Oracle of Winds said nothing nor made eye contact with anyone.

"This is a fight for the Celestial Balance," Onore explained as he approached the map. "You've already got Nemo and Levica fighting with you, not to mention Remiel. The Oracles will give everything we've got to help you win the fight, Lord Pit."

"Thank you." Pit's smile became genuine. "Then… Oi, Vis, come on. We won't bite!"

"Speak for yourself," Viridi grumbled next to him. Vis met his gaze, but didn't move.

"Are you so sure about that?" he inquired. "I doubt any of you are very happy with me."

"For the love of all that's good, that was over two centuries ago!" Kuro pointed out. "Let it go. Don't just hang onto it. And besides, we can't be picky."

"You might as well be saying nothing," Onore sighed. "He's got his pride and he's stubborn as a mule."

"No," Vis said softly and turned to Viridi. "Mistress Viridi, goddess of Nature, please. I beg your forgiveness for my actions. And Lord Pit, I ask yours for standing against you." Pit smiled and shook his head.

"Looks like you've figured out your place," he noticed, and Vis nodded.

"Fine," Viridi surrendered. "But if I think you're taking even half a step out of line, I'm letting Phosphora char you!"

"With pleasure," Phosphora added, and Vis again nodded.

"I understand, Mistress Viridi. I remain yours to command and will serve as needed to uphold the Celestial Balance."

"Then I guess we've got that figured out," Pit continued. "Unda, I want you to join up with the first wave of the Underworld Army with Remiel. You've got plenty of water to use, huh?" Unda smiled and placed her hands on her hips.

"I've got a terrain advantage no one else does," she agreed. "And I'll show you just how powerful I can be with it!"

"Just don't douse me," Onore pleaded. "Unless you want me to be totally useless."

"Right," Pit went on, "Onore, I want you with Ephraim's team. Beyond that, do as you wish."

"Got it," the Oracle of Fire acknowledged.

"Meaning Vis, you'll be with Arlon's group," the god of Light finished. "The three of you will provide backup for them. Keep each other safe, all of you. I'd sooner not lose any of you!" He stood to point at the map once again. "So, do we all understand the plan?" Murmurs of agreement sounded around him, and he smiled. "Good. We'll see victory. Mastema WILL fall!"

Cheers erupted from the small crowd as taunts, battle cries, and banter sounded off. Once they died down, the commanders formed their trios to discuss strategy, and Pit watched with a heavy heart until he noticed Levica's worried and crestfallen face. Once he caught her gaze, he gestured her over to the side and joined her there.

"What's wrong?" he wondered in a soft voice as her bright green eyes met his.

"You never mentioned what you want me to do," she replied. "I can fight, Lord Pit. You should know that."

"I don't doubt you," he assured her. "But… I personally need you to stay behind. You can keep Viridi safe during the battle."

"But-"

"Listen," he mumbled, glancing up to make sure no one else was listening in. "I… Every time I mention fighting him, I have an ill feeling about it. It may or may not be a premonition, but… I don't know if I'm going to come back, Levica. Even if I do beat Mastema, it may take everything I have to give. Even my life." Panic made itself silently apparent in her eyes. "So I need you to keep watch over the Light if something does happen to me." She swallowed and didn't immediately reply.

"Lord Pit…" she looked down and rested her hand over her chest. "I… Alright, I understand. But please, promise me something."

"If I can, I will," he agreed.

"Come back. Don't you dare fall in this battle. You've come too far for this to be your last!" He smiled.

"I'll do the best I can. I can promise you that." She nodded, not entirely convinced, but that was the best he could give her. "Now, I need to talk to my angel for a moment." She nodded again and they parted, and he waved Ephraim over to him. The angel hurried to join him.

"What is it, Lord Pit?" he asked, and Pit smiled as he dismissed both his staff and bow.

"I've got something for you," he replied and called forth the Winged Bow and Orichalcum Armor's clasp. Ephraim stared at them with a mix of shock and awe. "You'll need these."

"But… don't you need them more?" Ephraim wondered. "You're the one fighting Mastema."

"I've got a lot more at my disposal than you do," he pointed out. "And besides, I'll have to use my bow to hit him in the first place and won't have time to change out. And… I don't want to see you get hurt. This will give me some peace of mind in the battle." Ephraim dipped his head slowly and hesitantly took the Treasures.

"Thank you, Lord Pit. I'll use them well."

"You've come a long way since you first came to Skyworld," Pit smiled softly. "I know I can trust you to win this. I expect great things from you, Captain Ephraim." Ephraim looked up before straightening up like an arrow, and he nodded quickly.

"Yes, sir!" Pit grinned at his passionate response. "I'll give my all in this battle. For Skyworld and for the Celestial Balance!"

"Then you're dismissed. Get to it!" Ephraim again nodded and hurried back to rejoin Nemo and Arlon while he swapped out the clasp on his tunic as best he could. Pit took a deep breath and scanned the small crowd.

His blue eyes met Kuro's red gaze, and he quickly understood everything from the concern, the anger, the pleading, the grief in those eyes that watched him. Kuro had somehow overheard his conversation with Levica. And Pit could tell exactly what his twin wanted to say, but couldn't at that moment.

"Don't you dare get yourself killed. And if you do, then I won't forgive you."


	27. Chapter XXVII: War

Pit inhaled deeply and exhaled slowly as he opened his eyes in an attempt to calm his fraying nerves. Fear and doubt threatened to strangle his heart and made him feel sick as he stared blankly at the air in front of his face, his bow gripped tight in his left hand.

"Lady Palutena," he mumbled nearly inaudibly, "Lend me your strength once more. Please." He swallowed the grief that attempted to surface within him. "I need you for this. Give me your blessing." Whether it was his own mind playing tricks on him or truly her influence, however slight it was, on his spirit, he felt a comforting warmth spread through his body. He looked up and scanned over the gathered army below him. Kuro and Ephraim approached from behind, both equipped in their armor and back from a quick scouting mission, and the former rested his hand on his twin's shoulder.

"This is it," he said, and Pit nodded as his gaze swept over the mountain cliffs above them before turning to his angels.

"You're certain? Mastema is on the peninsula?" he asked.

"Affirmative," Ephraim nodded as best he could with his helmet on. "Seems to think it's the perfect spot to command his troops. And he's got TONS of them. Underworld weirdos, Forces of Nature, and Centurions."

"They've got to outnumber us at least three to one, maybe four," Kuro continued. "And Pandora's definitely with him. And I think Thanatos is floating around out there too."

"Figures," Pit sighed and massaged her forehead. "I'm sure Nemo will be thrilled. Well, Phosphora beat him in a fight before. She can do it again. Then that'll leave you and Remiel to deal with Pandora and the first wave. You'll have to take the brunt of the blow."

"Understood," Kuro replied. "Then I'd better get in position."

"Not yet," Pit stopped him. "First… I'm not very good at public speaking, but it needs to be done." With a nod from his angels, he stepped forward and raised his bow.

"Good luck," Ephraim bade, and Pit took a deep breath.

"Alright, everyone!" he called, and the crowd below fell silent and looked up to him. "I doubt Mastema is giving a big speech to all the troops he stole from us. But we're different from him. This is not going to be an easy battle, as you all know. But when we claim victory, we'll come out stronger." He paused and smiled. "Look at us. A little over two hundred years ago, Skyworld, the Overworld, and the Underworld were in a three-way war. But things have changed since then. This shouldn't be just a one-time alliance to fight a common enemy. We have one common world, even if we act as if it's divided. No one of us can claim it. But we can share it. That's what we have to usher in once this is over. I want to see peace!"

Cheers and applause erupted from the troops, echoing through the mountain pass. Whether they would truly take his words to heart once Mastema's defeat was official, he didn't know, but he would take what he could get.

"All right. You all know the plan we discussed. Get in your positions and wait for my signal!" Again, cheers sounded briefly as the combined might of the three armies began to separate back out. Remiel led his troops from the Underworld up to the mouth of the pass, just before it reached the shore of the sea, while Nemo took on a form somewhere between his human and spirit states of being to join Pit on the cliff.

"This is going to be rough," he said bluntly once he was there, and Pit nodded. "And good luck, Kuro."

"Thanks," Kuro replied, and Pit held his hand up. His twin braced his forearm against the god's and the two grasped hands briefly.

"Come back safely," Pit pleaded.

"I will if you do," the red-eyed angel responded, and he released Pit's hand before heading off toward the edge of the cliff to join his team of Centurions. Phosphora headed to the other cliff with her squad of the Forces of Nature, and Pit attempted to calm his pounding heart as he watched them go.

"Ready when you are," Nemo mumbled next to him, and he nodded slightly as he gathered his energy. He thrust his hand skyward and shot off a flash of light, and not a moment later did the first strike mobilize. Kuro and Phosphora both took to the air with their troops following close behind, and Remiel kept closer to the ground with his minions trailing him. Once they were out of sight, it wasn't long before the sound of shots fired and battle cries reached his ears.

"Alright!" he called out to the remaining reinforcements. "Get into position and wait for my mark." Arlon directed his team of the Forces of Nature up to the other cliff and remained there, poised and erect as always, and Ephraim hurried to the edge of their side with his Centurions and Nemo's team followed close behind as their leader and Pit brought up the rear.

Once he reached the edge, war filled Pit's field of vision. Sure enough, it seemed Thanatos and Phosphora had decided on a rematch and were streaking across the sky. Thanatos had taken a serpent-like form that reminded Pit of the Hewdraw, and he and the Lightning Flash were shooting and striking at each other at speeds that were almost too fast for Pit to keep up with. Below, it seemed Unda wasn't exaggerating when she had spoken of her power with water. Having a sea of it at her command allowed for a heavy arsenal, and she was using it quite skillfully with whips of water snapping at their foes. And if one drew too close, she dove under to where it couldn't follow and shot back up to dispatch it.

Nearby, Pit could see that Kuro was locked in a struggle with a female he didn't recognize, with long blue hair that billowed in the air around them. She held a sword in one hand and her other was free, but crackled with blue fire as she attacked the Skyworld commander.

"Nemo," he beckoned, catching the Oracle's attention. "Who's that?" He pointed at the stranger, and Nemo stared at him quizzically. "What?"

"That's Pandora," Underworld ruler replied with a tone of puzzlement. "You've fought her in the past, haven't you? I figured you'd know her when you saw her."

"Wait… THAT'S Pandora?!" Pit repeated as he turned his attention back to the fight. "But… she's just a ball of flame and vapor. How did… What?"

"From what I understand, this is a form she used to have before some sort of great struggle that cost her the body she once had. When Kuro was at the Rewind Spring trying to heal your wings, she used it to recover her body."

"…Oh." He knew that Kuro had battled with Pandora at the Rewind Spring, but that detail had somehow been left out and he hadn't seen the goddess of Calamity since he fought a creation of her in Medusa's castle. He shook his head and stopped pondering it, and instead continued scanning the battlefield.

Unfortunately, it wasn't easy to tell which of the forces below were friendly and which were foe, but they were dropping like flies either way. And through the fire and combat, he could see Mastema standing on the peninsula across the water. Though it wasn't clear, Pit could certainly imagine what maniacal smirk he had on his face.

"It's time," he said, and Nemo nodded. "Get ready!" Ephraim headed to the front of his team and Nemo joined the Underworld troops, and Arlon took this as a sign to prepare as well. Pit took a deep breath and spread his wings. "Alright, now! Go! CHARGE!" And charge, they did. As he took to the air and headed for the clouds, the second wave spread out like wildfire in the dry brush. And some of it was truly made of fire as Onore set to work. Cragalanche broke out of the ground and swung his boulder-like fists at the enemies on the ground, and they dropped with no attempt to get back up.

"This is it…" he mumbled to himself as he broke through the lower side of the clouds and leveled out in Mastema's direction. "This ends now." He sped forward as fast as his wings would carry him without the Power of Flight- he didn't want to waste his energy, as he knew he would need every last drop of it in his battle.

Every now and again, when the clouds under him thinned, he could see the chaos below and could only wonder how much Mastema was enjoying it. Nemo and his team were drawing close to their opponent, but he maintained his distance as planned. And, sure enough, it seemed Mastema was watching him. Pit knew Nemo wanted revenge for everything the god of Chaos had done, and was thankful he had a level enough head to stick to their plan. But even Nemo knew that he had no chance fighting his enemy.

Pit did his best to ignore the sight of the battle below and the sick feeling it gave him as the commanders continued their fight. Once he was sure he had cleared the sea, he set himself into a dive and broke back through the clouds behind Mastema. He flared his wings a short time later and circled down, readying his bow as he drew closer. He wanted as close of a target he could get, but he knew that would be near impossible without Mastema catching on. His heart pounded and sweat beaded on his forehead as he slowed and hovered in the air, several hundred paces up, and he forced himself to forget the battle raging nearby.

_Calm down,_ he ordered to himself and stabilized his position as best he could. He took a deep breath and pulled his arrow back, and it shone with a light brighter than his usual blue arrows. He aimed, blocking out the cries of war, and let the arrow slip from his fingers. It streaked through the air, trailing a pale blue tail behind it. Perhaps Mastema had sensed something was off, and, to Pit's panic, he turned around.

But the arrow made contact.

It flashed as it hit the target's shoulder, and he rocked back with a face of pain and annoyance. Pit landed with his feet on the ground a short distance from him.

"We end this now," he growled, and Mastema smirked at him.

"I should have known it was you," the chaotic god replied. "Pandora left out that little detail. You're the one that destroyed my dear little Chaos Kin, didn't you?"

"Good riddance," Pit spat. "And you're next."

"Hmph," Mastema huffed. "I really should pay you back for killing my pet. Dyntos may have given you an arrow, but it isn't nearly enough to beat me. Hope you've said your prayers, little pest."

Before Pit could even think about dodging, a sharp, stinging pain hit his arm and chest, and he jumped back with a huff as he tried to process what had happened. Mastema held in each hand a whip-like light resembling a chain. He whipped them forward again and ripped up part of the grass below as Pit took to the air, but the other snapped against his wing and he fell back to the ground with a thud. But he rolled back and leapt forward, shooting a blast of light from his free hand that hit his opponent in the abdomen.

"Fool." Mastema recovered quickly and sliced his hand like a crescent through the air at a diagonal, and Pit felt a white-hot pain pass through him once it hit. He grit his teeth, but remained standing, and charged his power into his bow before firing several arrows. They hit home, but Mastema still remained nonchalant and watched the god of Light with an amused glint in his eye.

"I haven't had a good fight like this since I battled Hades," he remarked. "Thanks for the exercise." He again cast his strange crescent, but the ground under Pit's feet shifted and threw off his balance before he could dodge. He took the brunt of the blow and had to fight hard to stay on his feet. But before he could recover, Mastema slammed into him and knocked him back.

He got back up quickly and rushed forward again, slashing the blade of his bow down hard across Mastema's chest, and an odd, dark blue blood welled up through the wound.

"Ah!" he squeaked as Mastema suddenly grabbed hold of his wing, and he felt a sharp pain shoot through it and into his back as the god of Space pulled him back and threw him against the ground. Following up, Mastema jumped up with a strange power crackling around his hand, and he brought it down hard against Pit's chest.

Oh, how the pain shocked his body. His vision blacked out, leaving him alone with the agony of the blow as it passed through his system again and again.

"Palutena was always weak," Mastema taunted. "A fool. She hid behind Hades and Medusa and spat all sorts of junk about justice and the Celestial Balance, but she would run mewling back to them whenever I threatened her." Pit fought back against the pain as he attempted to collect himself, but to no avail. He felt paralyzed. "You've put up an infinitely better fight than she did. I'll give you that. But if she really did pass her power to you, than you're doomed to forever be a weak little nothing. She failed you."

"_She failed you." _Those three words echoed around Pit's head, and hot anger ignited in his core. He blinked and recovered his vision, and flipped back up with his bow at the ready.

"Don't you DARE talk about Lady Palutena that way!" he yelled, straining his vocal chords, and launched himself forward to strike Mastema with a blast of light. His target flew back and landed hard, but again got back up to face the god of Light. Pit didn't waste any time and directed his energy into his bow. He could feel himself starting to strain, putting a large amount of power and effort into his every strike, and his heart was pounding. But he shot forward several other arrows and managed to hit his target each time.

Mastema stumbled, and Pit could see he was beginning to grapple with exhaustion as well. But he was still strong and defiant, and a sudden wall of energy slammed into the blue-eyed god without any warning. He fell back, stunned, but rolled out of the way before Mastema could hit him again. He sprung back up and planted his feet squarely against his enemy's stomach, launching himself off and sending Mastema sprawling.

It took the god of Space a moment to get back up, and he was panting heavily with sweat dripping down and streaking the dirt on his face. Pit focused his energy and slipped nimbly around his foe as Mastema attempted to hit him again, blinding him with a bright blast of light. As the chaotic being attempted to overcome his disoriented state of mind, Pit drew upon the last of his available energy and directed it into one blade of his bow and held it in a reverse grip.

With a shout, he pushed himself off his back foot and plunged the blade deep into the center of Mastema's chest. His bright, icy blue eyes met Mastema's red and amber stare, and he swallowed as they remained silent. Both were breathing heavily, and Mastema's teeth were grit tight.

"You're finished," Pit breathed. But to his confusion, Mastema still smirked at him.

And before he saw it, a sharp, crackling, dagger-like light stabbed straight through the tip of his breastbone. His eyes flew wide and he cried out in pain and shock.

"Th-Then you're… coming with m-me…" Mastema whispered as Pit released his blade, clutching his wound as crimson blood welled up between his fingers. The world around him blurred and spun as Mastema fell to the dirt. The searing pain of the light failed to lessen as his body refused to respond to his dizzied mind. The ground rushed up to meet him, and he was vaguely aware of Nemo shouting his name as his vision went dark.


	28. Chapter XXVIII: Bittersweet

Something about this scene wasn't quite right. The forces Mastema had stolen suddenly ceased their fighting, as if by some unseen and unheard command. Phosphora again triumphed over Thanatos, and Ephraim and Kuro had managed to subdue Pandora and knock her out cold. Nemo was pleased that the red-eyed angel hadn't carried on their fight longer than necessary.

The lord of the Underworld turned his attention back to Pit's fight with Mastema, and what he saw was far from what he had expected. Mastema had collapsed to the ground with one part of Pit's bow thrust into his chest. But Pit was also stumbling, clutching at a reddening wound near the lower part of his chest, and his gaping mouth that released no sound was testament enough to the pain he was in.

"PIT!" Nemo shouted as the god of Light also fell to the ground on his front side, his wings drooped over his shoulders. "Oh, no…" Nemo hurried over and nearly tripped as he landed, and he crouched down to prod Pit's arm. "Pit?" No response. "Pit! Come on, wake up!" Nothing. A lump formed in Nemo's throat, and he swallowed around it. "Pit…" he called again, but still Pit didn't stir.

"Lord Pit?" Nemo turned to find Remiel approaching with Kuro and Ephraim not far behind. "No…" Kuro stared at his fallen twin in shock before he nearly knocked the younger boys over as he raced to Pit's side. He knelt down and turned his brother over gently, wincing at the sight of his wound as he propped him up in his arms.

"Pit!" he growled. "Damn it, you jerk, wake up! You can't just… this isn't ending this way! You told us to survive. Don't do this!" But Pit didn't reply to his brother's pleads either. Tears dripped down Ephraim's face, and Remiel placed his hand on his friend's shoulder in an attempt to console him.

"Kuro, come on," another voice spoke up, signaling Viridi's arrival. "Back off. Yelling at him isn't going to help." He scowled at her, his own red eyes watering.

"Oh, shut up!" he snapped, his lip quivering. "What do you know?! You weren't even here!"

"Okay, Kuro, that's enough," Nemo said rather glumly, and, surprisingly, Kuro didn't fight back as he pulled the angel away. Viridi knelt down at Pit's side and rested her hand on his chest, the other bracing herself against her staff.

"What are you-"

"BE QUIET!" she ordered, and silence strangled the air as she narrowed her eyes, ignoring the blood that threatened to stain her hand. "…He's alive." Despite her words, silence still reigned along with the shock that passed over them. She looked from Nemo to Kuro and Ephraim. "Well? Didn't you hear me? He's alive!" Her gaze swept back to Nemo. "And don't you have a job to do?" She pointed at Mastema, and he nodded.

"Right," he mumbled and hurried over to their fallen opponent. "I'll meet you all later." With that, he focused and sent both himself and Mastema back to the deepest recesses of the Underworld.

"He's… alive?" Kuro finally echoed, and Viridi nodded. "Then what do we do?!"

"I… Okay. He's alive, but barely," she elaborated. "His heart is weak and he's barely breathing. I… he may be able to recover himself, he may not. I don't know." She stood back up and looked down in thought. "I think the best thing we can do is get him back to Skyworld, patch him up, and let him rest. Whether he recovers or not will be up to him." Kuro nodded and looked up at a passing Strongarm.

"Hey, you! Get your butt down here!" The Centurion quickly complied and landed with a thud, cracking the earth under his feet.

"Yes, Commander!" he responded. "How can I be of service?" Kuro pointed to his fallen twin, and shock was evident on the Strongarm's face.

"Can I trust you to be ABSOLUTELY careful with him?" the commander inquired. "Seriously. Not a hair out of place. We need to get him back to Skyworld."

"I'll be quick as the wind!" the Centurion replied and saluted his superior. "You can count on me, sir!"

"Good." While the Strongarm quickly but carefully scooped the god into his arms, Kuro turned to Ephraim. "Do me a favor and help tend to our wounded. But I expect you back as soon as you're able."

"Yes, sir," Ephraim dipped his head, and both Kuro and the Strongarm took off for Skyworld.

"I'll catch up soon!" Viridi called after them, and he dipped his wing slightly to signal that he'd heard her.

His mind was a flurry of emotions, and he wasn't sure what to focus on first. Relief that Mastema had fallen was far down the line. Anger was a bit higher up, confusion on the same level, and outrage even a little higher. But first and foremost, he was grief-stricken, and he hated himself for again not being able to help his twin when he needed it most. He hadn't seen what happened during the final moments of the battle, but he could assume Mastema had pulled some cheap trick to steal Pit's life before he fell. Whether he was successful was yet to be seen.

The wind didn't help his watering eyes, and he swallowed the ball in his throat as he and the Strongarm broke through the barrier between the Overworld and Skyworld.

"Follow me," he beckoned and took the lead, heading toward the temple. He frowned as he scanned his home, the broken structures and buildings, the stones that littered the islets. But that would have to come later. He landed and hurried into the temple with the Strongarm following.

"Where do you want him, sir?" the Centurion asked, and Kuro sighed.

"Just follow me." They made their way down the main corridor and Kuro turned to the right, passing Pit's chamber and heading for the door at the end of the hall. He forced it open to find a large hot spring bubbling within and a few shelves of bandages and the like. "Put him in the water. GENTLY." The Centurion complied and set Pit down in the hot spring's waters, and Kuro grabbed a piece of cloth from the shelf and folded it up, slipping under the back of his twin's head.

"I thought I'd find you here," Viridi announced as she entered, carrying several herbs and plants. "These should help keep the wound clean." He nodded his thanks as she went to work with her plants, and he grabbed a retrieved a roll of bandages and waited. "Hm… This is no good. Help me out here, will you?"

"What do you want me to do?" he wondered as he came over and knelt down at Pit's side opposite her. The god of Light was awfully pale and showed no signs of stirring. Kuro couldn't help but wonder if he was even still alive, but he placed his faith- for once- in Viridi's work.

"I can't do much if he's still got his robe on. It's probably better we get it off now, before it starts sticking to the wound." He nodded and unclasped Pit's main robe, then untied his second. Then, carefully, he cut his twin's undershirt and pulled it off, and his stomach nearly heaved as he got a good look at the injury for the first time. It was still bleeding, and awfully deep.

_You're a god, _he pleaded with his twin. _You can come back from this… right? _But he knew Pit had prepared to use all the energy he had in his fight. Perhaps it had been too much, truly weakened him beyond repair.

"Okay. Now, we bandage him up," Viridi said, rousing him from his thoughts. "Then it's up to him to do the rest." Kuro again nodded, silent, and propped his brother up gently as Viridi wrapped the bandages around his chest and over his shoulder. Pit still did nothing, didn't stir, wouldn't open his eyes. But now, to something of his relief, Kuro could see a gentle- but awfully infrequent and shallow- rise and fall of his chest.

"You wanna help us?" the commander asked of the Strongarm, who nodded vigorously. "Then let's get him back to his chamber." Again, the Strongarm carefully hoisted up the god of Light, and the three made their way to the room they'd passed previously. The Centurion laid Pit down on his bed carefully, his wings folded gently underneath him, and Kuro pulled the covers up as he watched his twin's unmoving face.

"I haven't seen him in this bad of shape since he saved you from the Chaos Kin," Viridi mumbled as he dismissed the Centurion. He turned to her, but didn't reply. "But he's been through a lot of tough stuff in his life." He nodded. "And either way, we owe him everything."

"I know," he sighed. "I guess the best we can do is wait and see." They remained there for some time, with Kuro standing with his arms crossed at Pit's side and Viridi several paces back near the wall. And a little while later, someone new came in. The red-eyed angel turned around to find Levica holding Pit's staff.

"Ephraim told me what happened- or, rather, as best he could." Her voice was weighed down with grief, and she looked somehow guilty as Kuro stared at the staff.

"How did you get that?" he asked hoarsely, and she looked down.

"Lord Pit left it with me," she replied meekly. "In case… He said that if he didn't come back, I'd have to take over defending the Light of the world. He figured he wouldn't need it in the battle, said I could just give it back if he made it out." Silence gripped the air for several moments.

"'If?'" Viridi finally echoed. "He knew he could end up dead, and he still went along with it? He still fought Mastema on his own?!"

"You know what he's like," Kuro pointed out. "He didn't want anyone else to get hurt." Levica nodded and rested the staff against the wall with a quick glance to the unconscious god. "Though if he does wake up, I may still kill him for scaring me like this." Viridi snorted and smiled weakly.

"Of course you will," she scoffed. He shook his head and headed for the door. "Where are you going?"

"Skyworld got hit the hardest in all this," he replied. "It's in dire need of repair. And I want to get everything fixed up so he can wake up to see the world he saved. And that starts with home." Without bothering to wait for a reply, he headed out. Both Levica and Viridi stared after him for a moment.

"I figured he wouldn't want to leave Pit's side," the goddess of Nature said, and Levica sighed.

"I think he sees it as a distraction," she thought aloud. "And it gives him hope. You heard him. He wants Lord Pit to wake up to a restored Skyworld. That's his goal, and he has to start repairs in order to reach it." She paused. "And besides, with Lord Pit down for the count, he's technically the leader of this realm. He's got to act accordingly." Viridi nodded.

"Maybe I'll send some of my Children to give him some help once we're done with my palace," she pondered and turned back to Pit. "You'd better wake up, you little dweeb. Or I'll hunt you down in the Underworld and bring you back myself!" With that, she left as well, and Levica followed soon after.


	29. Chapter XXIX: Greatest of the Gods

Even the searing pain on the edge of Pit's memory was swallowed up by darkness. He would have said he felt like he was floating somewhere, except that still required the presence of a body. He felt nothing, saw nothing, heard nothing. It was like his consciousness had been separated from his physical form, and he had no idea how to get back.

Yet, somehow, this darkness felt familiar to him. It wasn't like the last time he'd more or less been like this, when Palutena had told him of Mastema. Nor was it like the darkness that had overtaken him when his darker half had his part of their soul. This was something else entirely, and he'd only been there one other time. Or, at least, he thought he'd been there. He hadn't recalled it until he reached it again. And he found himself searching for someone that he knew, deep down, that he would never actually find. For once, it wasn't Palutena.

He wanted his parents.

He missed them. For some strange reason or other, he wanted to be back in the body of that young human boy, curled up on his father's lap while his mother told him a story as he drifted off to the realm of dreams. He wished he could be held close to her near the fire, feeling safe and secure in her embrace. He wanted the security of a family that couldn't be broken no matter what happened. No one, he knew, would love him like they did.

He couldn't come up with any reason why he felt this way. Even after Mneme had returned his memories of his human childhood to him, however few they were, he'd never felt like this. He certainly wondered what life would have been like if he had lived as a human instead of becoming an angel, and he grieved for his parents when they passed away: Ephram over two hundred years previous and Helen not long after. But he'd never felt such a strong desire to go back and be their son.

He knew they were dead. He knew they lived in entirely different worlds. He knew Ephraim would never be the same as his father. And yet, at that moment in the darkness, he didn't care. And he remained there, a faded consciousness without a body, for some time that he had no way of keeping track of.

Eventually, a weight came to him, as did pain. It had certainly dulled compared to the feeling of being impaled by a white-hot, impossibly sharp sword of pure energy that he'd been hit with before. The weight became stronger, as it was drawing his consciousness toward it. He saw no reason to object, and so he let it pull him in.

He groaned softly and, with some effort, opened his eyes and blinked in the bright sunlight streaming through the window and skylight. He stared at the blue skies overhead, disoriented and confused, as his mind attempted to catch back up with his body.

"Where am I?" he asked, his voice hoarse and labored. Slowly, somehow, it came back to him. This was his personal chamber within Skyworld's temple. This was home. How he got there, however, was a mystery to him. He braced his elbows against his bed, but as soon as he attempted to sit up, aggravated pain ignited in his center. Fighting through it, little by little, he sat up and looked down at the source.

He couldn't see the injury itself, but he could tell by how he felt that it had been a rough one. His chest and shoulder had been bandaged, and they looked fresh and relatively clean, like someone had just recently wrapped them there. His body felt like a lead weight, but, strangely, he felt some sort of relief. If he knew anything, it was that he was lucky to be alive.

He found his staff leaned up against the wall and reached for it gently, though his injury argued with him and made him stiff. But his fingers wrapped around its handle and he braced himself against it, pulling himself out of bed. He stumbled, but caught himself, and kept both hands tight around his staff as he attempted to walk.

He found that, outside his bandages, he was wearing nothing but his shorts and the cloth wrapped around his lower right leg, and the rest of his clothes were folded somewhat neatly on a table pushed up against the opposite wall. He didn't bother with completely dressing himself in an effort not to make his wound worse, but pulled on his outer robe and clasped it over his shoulder with his belt tied around his waist. Strapping his sandals had proved difficult, but he accomplished the task no matter how sluggish his pace was.

"Alright," he said softly, his voice recovering a bit of its former strength. "I suppose I should figure out what's going on." Mastema's last resort of an attack against him was the last thing he remembered, and even that was fogged by a mask of pain that his mind wanted to block out. Whether all of his allies had made it through, he didn't know.

He half walked, half limped through the temple, ever using his staff as a brace to keep his balance. The halls were empty, void of any Centurions on guard. He took a deep breath and continued, blinking in the sunlight as he emerged out to the islets of his realm.

Skyworld was abuzz with activity, with Centurions darting around the skies carrying rocks and supplies as they went. Some appeared to be putting the finishing touches on repair projects, and others were clearing away the last of the rubble they left behind. Pit smiled with a warm sense of pride within him to see his home in such glory again, the sunlight sparkling on the springs and bringing out the rich green of the grasses.

"Come on! Pick it up!" And listening to that voice and its tone of authority made him chuckle, and he followed it until his gaze found its source. Kuro was standing at the head of one of the repaired structures with one hand cupped around his mouth and the other against his waist. "We're in the home stretch. Get it done! The sooner you're finished, the sooner you can take a break before I get you all back to training!"

"But Commander…" one of the Centurions complained. "We can't handle all this! We need a break now!"

"Huh-uh," Kuro replied. "This place needs to be cleaned up before Pit wakes up. And as long as he's out, I'm in charge. So get moving." The Centurion sighed and headed off again as Ephraim approached his fellow angel. "Ah, there you are. Do me a favor and go oversee the main plaza, will you? That's a good place for these lazy bums to try to catch a nap."

"Very funny, Commander," Ephraim grinned. "I think they're all too scared of you to try to slip in any down time."

"Maybe. But I still want to make sure they're following orders." Kuro watched the blue-eyed angel quizzically as Ephraim looked past him, and his eyes widened before a smile overtook his face and he launched himself into the air. "Hey, Ephraim! The plaza is that way!" But Ephraim didn't appear to listen to his commander's order. Instead, he hurried over and landed with a look of gleeful disbelief on his face as he approached his leader.

"L-Lord Pit?" he asked, and Pit smiled as he nodded.

"Wha…" It didn't take long for Kuro to join them. "Pit!" And this time, it was Pit's turn to be surprised as his twin landed and pulled him into a tight hug.

"Ow…" the god complained, and Kuro released him immediately.

"Sorry. Guess you're still healing, huh?" he wondered, and Pit nodded again.

"Guess so."

"I'm glad you're awake. But dang it, what part of 'don't scare me like that' don't you understand?!" Kuro demanded, and Pit grinned at him.

"Sorry, I had a battle with a god of Chaos to take care of. Speaking of which, what happened to him?"

"Master Nemo sealed him back in the Underworld," Ephraim reported. "Says that as long as there's a power to maintain it, he's not getting out any time soon." He snorted and shook his head. "Now, PLEASE, Lord Pit. Tell this crazy Commander to pull back a little! He's been working everyone to the bone with repairs."

"All for me, eh?" Pit wondered, and Kuro nodded.

"Hope you're happy with the result," the red-eyed angel agreed.

"Absolutely," Pit acknowledged. "This is the way Skyworld is meant to be." But something in the distance caught his eye, and he strode a bit closer as he kept himself braced against his staff. "Is that… Lady Palutena's statue?"

"Yeah," Kuro confirmed. Sure enough, the statue of the former goddess of Light stood tall over the gardens some distance away.

"But… if that's over there, then what's over the temple?" he asked, and remained just as confused as Kuro and Ephraim exchanged a knowing smile.

"Come on," Kuro tilted his head to the side, and Pit followed him away from the temple. "Okay. Now, turn around." And he did as he was told.

What he found, he never would have expected even in his eternal lifetime.

Sure enough, the statue of Palutena had been replaced. Pit found his every feature carved into the stone, standing tall and proud over the Skyworld Temple with his staff held in one hand and the other holding his bow up toward the sky. He smiled, and his eyes inexplicably watered.

"You could say the Centurions wanted to give you a little thank-you present for saving them again and again," Kuro joked. "And I guess it helped that they made me model for them while they were building it." Pit looked from the statue back to his brother with a bright smile on his face.

"Thank you," he said softly. "Maybe it's time I stopped living in the past so much. I guess this really does show the true state of Skyworld." He paused, pondering what he was seeing. "Exactly how long was I unconscious, anyway?"

"Eh… two, maybe two and a half weeks?" Kuro replied, and Pit stared at him. "We've gotten a lot done. But I admit I was beginning to doubt you were going to wake up at all!"

"But you're here now," Ephraim pointed out with a grin, an expression that Pit returned. "All hail the mighty Lord Pit, huh? The one being that nothing can kill no matter how hard they try."

"And a LOT of things have tried," Kuro chuckled. Pit shook his head in amusement.

"Very true. Seems I've spent almost my entire life getting shot at! Oh well. Hopefully that's over with for now." With a murmur of agreement from his angels, he turned around again and his smile grew as he found both Nemo and Viridi arriving on a nearby islet. And news of his awakening must have started to spread among the Skyworld denizens, as it wasn't long before their voices rose up in cheers.

"All hail Lord Pit!"

"Praise the god of Light!"

"Glory to Lord Pit, greatest of the gods!"

"Greatest of the gods?" Kuro echoed.

"I'll agree to that," Ephraim laughed, and Pit shoved him playfully.

"That's a heck of a title to live up to," he remarked, and he could see Viridi staring at him and Nemo laughing at her. "Guess I can't disappoint them, huh? I'll have to get back to work soon anyway. Gotta make sure the peace we've fought for isn't so easily lost."

"Right. That reminds me." Pit turned to face his twin curiously, and watched as Kuro pulled the feather around his neck and broke the cord. He smiled as his white wings remained, untainted by darkness. "Guess you finishing Mastema also broke that curse."

"Glad to hear it, Kuro," Pit nodded. "I hope I can continue to rely on you both to help me through this. We've got a long road ahead of us to make sure this lasts."

"You aren't gonna get rid of us that easily!" Ephraim teased. "Come on, Lord Pit. I bet those gods down there want to say hi." Pit nodded again and made his way down, and he smiled as he glanced back toward the statue of Palutena in the distance.

_Thank you,_ he thought, then returned his attention to his visitors and the hard won future he would begin to usher in. For once, finally, it seemed there wasn't anything waiting in the wings for him. Medusa had been vanquished, Hades defeated, a friendship with Nemo forged, Yoshua set on the right path before his death after a long and prosperous life, and Mastema sealed where he belonged. No great battles loomed on the horizon for as far as anyone could tell. Finally, and truly, he was free.


	30. Epilogue: A Greeting

And so ends the tale of Pit's rise from a human child through his years as an angel to become the benevolent god of Light, defender of the humans, head of keeping peace in the world. He has met many challenges and passed them all with the help of his reflection, his angels, and his opposite and ally. He has ushered in an age of balance that will not be broken by petty fights among the divine.

And you, who have followed him in his journey, have witnessed much. If you deem yourself satisfied with the path Pit has taken and the end it has reached, then I have nothing more to speak of to you. May you go in peace.

But Pit's story has not ended. The world will change in ways that even the Keepers may not have seen. The goddess of Nature will work for years to create new races among the humans in an attempt to draw them closer to the earth. The humans themselves will continue to fight, but the gods will not be needed again for quite some time to see peace restored. Light will continue to reign, even after its god's name is forgotten save the pages of mythology, until the world finally finds out for sure that not all darkness is controlled by its Oracle, just as all Light is not by its Oracle and god. And when the world is on the brink of destruction on all sides, when the lord of the Underworld is losing his place and his son has been stolen from him, Pit will then emerge once more after over a thousand years of watching from afar with failure facing him as an obstacle he may likely not get past.

He was never able to restore peace and balance on his own. Just like before, he would need the help of others who share his vision. And he would fight to see whether the humans could save themselves once more from destruction, and do everything he could to save them if they could not.

How do I know of these events?

My name is Aegle. And though belief or disbelief rests with you, I am Pit's daughter.

* * *

**Author's Note: **Wow. After a year and 74 total chapters, I've finally finished the _On the Wings of Light and Dark _series. This in itself is kind of a bittersweet moment for me.

But... well, if you've read the above, then you know I still have other plans. But the story following is a **crossover**, and if you couldn't gather from that last little line, then I will, finally, be pairing Pit up. So I leave it up to you if you'll continue to follow this story. I won't be offended or anything if you don't. And I'd love to thank all of you who have helped me through the OWLD series, no matter when you started reading.

So, if you choose to let this be your end, see you around. But if you want to stick around, then I hope you're ready for the strange way my brain works when coming up with ideas as you delve into the story of _Across the Bounds of Time. _

Which, for those of you who have read my teaser, I'd suggest waiting a little while so I can get things in gear. I'll be uploading a couple of new "prologue" chapters in place of the one that's already up. You've been warned!


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